Members of the Metropolitan King County Council unveiled a plaque of Gordon Hirabayashi for refusing to comply with Executive Order 9066. On May 15, County Council Vice Chair Rod Dembowski unveiled a plaque honoring Hirabayashi in the County Council’s lobby, just steps away from where Hirabayashi was imprisoned for refusing to comply with the order, […]
A lesson from the past, for our future
Japanese American Fred Korematsu (1919–2005), a Nisei, made American legal history in 1942. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, he fought against his government-mandated internment in a camp.
Minoru Yasui awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
President Obama announced on Nov. 16 that Minoru “Min” Yasui will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Minoru Yasui was a civil and human rights activist best known for his U.S. Supreme Court Case questioning the constitutionality of curfews imposed on Japanese American citizens during World War II. Cases […]
A birthday salute to an Asian American hero — Gordon Hirabayashi, An American Freedom Fighter
By Maria Batayola and Gary Iwamoto Northwest Asian Weekly We always wanted to have heroes and she-roes who look like us to be inspiration not only for us but also for our children. We have them all around us, sometimes invisible, sometimes forgotten. Here is one American hero and patriot who made a tremendous difference […]
Sakata’s play about Gordon Hirabayashi, ‘Hold These Truths’
By Laura Ohata Northwest Asian Weekly Homecoming for a Civil Rights icon Gordon Hirabayashi Imagine that it is April in 1942, and the Japanese military attacked Pearl Harbor only four months ago. You
1-man-show tells story of Gordon Hirabayashi
Joel de la Fuente stars in Jeanne Sakata’s one-man show, “Hold These Truths,” inspired by the true story of University of Washington student Gordon Hirabayashi as he fought the U.S. government’s forcible and unconstitutional removal and incarceration of all people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast during World War II.
Supreme Court Justice says internment ruling could happen again
By Audrey McAvoy Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told law students at the University of Hawaii last month that the nation’s highest court was wrong to uphold the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, but he wouldn’t be surprised if the court issued a similar ruling during […]
Hirabayashi medal comes home
By Sue Misao NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Gordon Hirabayashi’s heroic journey began at the University of Washington, where he was
Hirabayashi family will donate Medal of Freedom to UW
Ground broken on Hirabayashi Place development
By Sue Misao Northwest Asian Weekly About 150 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hirabayashi Place, a new housing