Korematsu v. United States was a 1944 Supreme Court case about the forced removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast during World War II. The case matters because it shows how fear during a national crisis can pressure government officials to limit constitutional rights.
Fred Korematsu challenged the military exclusion order after refusing to leave his home in California. The Supreme Court upheld his conviction, making the case one of the most controversial decisions in U.S. history.
The Court said the exclusion policy was justified by military necessity, even though it targeted people based on ancestry. Later evidence showed that government officials had withheld information that weakened the claim of military danger. In the 1980s, Korematsu's conviction was vacated by a federal court, and Congress later apologized and paid reparations to surviving internees.
In 2018, the Supreme Court stated that Korematsu was gravely wrong, making the case a lasting warning about protecting rights during emergencies.
Key Facts
- Korematsu v. United States was decided by the Supreme Court in 1944.
- The Court ruled 6 to 3 against Fred Korematsu and upheld his conviction.
- Executive Order 9066 allowed military authorities to exclude people from designated areas.
- About 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated, and about two thirds were U.S. citizens.
- The majority claimed the exclusion was based on military necessity, not racial hostility.
- In 2018, the Supreme Court stated that Korematsu was gravely wrong and has no place in law under the Constitution.
Vocabulary
- Executive Order 9066
- A 1942 presidential order that authorized military exclusion zones and led to the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans.
- Internment
- The confinement of people, often during wartime, without the normal protections of criminal trial and conviction.
- Military necessity
- A government claim that certain actions are required to protect national security during war or emergency.
- Strict scrutiny
- The highest level of judicial review, used when a law or policy affects fundamental rights or uses suspect classifications such as race.
- Repudiation
- A formal rejection of an earlier decision, policy, or belief as wrong or unjust.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Saying the Supreme Court approved internment camps directly is incomplete because the case focused on Korematsu's violation of an exclusion order, though that order was part of the broader incarceration system.
- Assuming everyone incarcerated was a noncitizen is wrong because about two thirds of those removed and confined were U.S. citizens.
- Treating wartime fear as a constitutional blank check is wrong because the Constitution still limits government power during emergencies.
- Saying Korematsu was fully overturned in the usual way is misleading because his conviction was vacated in a lower federal court, while the Supreme Court later repudiated the decision in strong language.
Practice Questions
- 1 The Supreme Court vote in Korematsu was 6 to 3. What fraction and percentage of the justices were in the majority?
- 2 About 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated, and about two thirds were U.S. citizens. Estimate how many incarcerated people were U.S. citizens.
- 3 Explain why Korematsu v. United States is often used as a lesson about the danger of limiting civil liberties during a crisis.