California Assemblymembers Warren Furutani and Marty Block authored Assembly Bill 1775, which establishes January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution to encourage schools across the state to teach students about Fred Korematsu’s story and its relevance in today’s post-9/11 environment. The first Fred Korematsu Day will be celebrated on January 30, 2011, on Fred Korematsu’s birthday.

Karen Korematsu, Peter Irons, and Mohammed Choudhury will discuss the historic and contemporary significance of the U.S. Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States. The Forum is open to the public; educator resources will be distributed to teachers.

Registration fee: $25; Museum Members: Free. Deadline to register is December 30, 2010. To register, download the Registration Form.

—FORUM AGENDA—

3:30 - 4:15 PM Reception (light refreshments)

4:15 - 7:00 PM Panel discussion featuring:

• Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred and Kathryn Korematsu and co-founder of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education
• Peter Irons, Professor of Political Science Emeritus, UC San Diego
• Mohammed Choudhury, Teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District

Educator Resources for students to learn Fred Korematsu’s story and its relevance in today’s increasingly hostile environment for Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian American communities. Build students’ civic competence as responsible citizens with resources from:

• Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education
• Facing History and Ourselves
• California Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools
• Japanese American National Museum
• National Center for the Preservation of Democracy

7 - 8 PM: Free admission to the Japanese American National Museum

For more information, contact Michelle Herczog, Los Angeles County Office of Education at herczog_michelle@lacoe.edu or 562.922.6908.

Sponsored by the Los Angeles County Office of Education and the Japanese American National Museum. Support for this program has been generously provided, in part, by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.