# Fred Korematsu Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025

This bill awards the Congressional Gold Medal to Fred Korematsu, a Japanese American civil rights hero who fought against the government's forced internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The Congressional Gold Medal is one of the highest civilian honors the United States can give, and it's a way for Congress to officially recognize and celebrate someone's extraordinary contributions to the nation.

Fred Korematsu refused to comply with Executive Order 9066, which forced over 120,000 Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II, even though most were American citizens who had committed no crime. He challenged this order in court, and his case went all the way to the Supreme Court. Though he lost that case at the time, his legal challenge became a landmark moment in civil rights history. Decades later, in 1988, a federal court officially overturned his conviction, acknowledging that the government had acted unjustly. Korematsu spent his remaining years speaking out against discrimination and defending civil liberties for all Americans.

This bill doesn't change any laws or create new policies—it's purely ceremonial. What it does is make an official statement that Congress recognizes Korematsu's bravery in standing up to government overreach and his lifelong commitment to protecting people's constitutional rights. The medal itself becomes a permanent symbol of his legacy and serves as a reminder of an important but painful chapter in American history. By honoring Korematsu, Congress is also acknowledging the injustice that Japanese Americans faced and reaffirming the nation's commitment to protecting civil liberties and preventing such discrimination from happening again.

Fred Korematsu Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025

Hirono, Mazie K.

Fred Korematsu Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025This 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 United States, and his dedication to justice and equality.