# Fred Korematsu Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023

This bill awards the Congressional Gold Medal to Fred Korematsu, a Japanese American civil rights activist who fought against the U.S. government's forced internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The Congressional Gold Medal is one of the highest civilian honors Congress can give, recognizing extraordinary achievements and contributions to American society.

Fred Korematsu became famous for refusing to obey the government's order to report to an internment camp in 1942. Instead of complying, he challenged the order in court, arguing that the government had no right to imprison people based solely on their ethnicity. He lost his case at the time, but decades later, in 1983, a federal court overturned his conviction after discovering that the government had hidden evidence during the original trial. Korematsu spent the rest of his life speaking out against racial discrimination and defending civil liberties.

By awarding him this medal, Congress is officially recognizing Korematsu's courage in standing up for constitutional rights and his lifelong commitment to fighting injustice. The medal serves as a national acknowledgment that the internment was wrong and that Korematsu's resistance to it was heroic. This is primarily a symbolic gesture—it doesn't change any laws or provide direct financial benefits—but it sends an important message about American values and the importance of protecting individual freedoms, even when the government pressures people to abandon them.

Fred Korematsu Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023

Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39]

Fred Korematsu Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023 This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Fred Korematsu in recognition of his contributions to civil rights, his loyalty and patriotism to the nation, and his dedication to justice and equality.