My folks were so worried about what they were going to do. All they can take was what they could carry with their hands. What they had for twenty-five years of building their business was going to go out the door, or they're going to lose it. Fred Korematsu More Quotes by Fred Korematsu More Quotes From Fred Korematsu No one should ever be locked away simply because they share the same race, ethnicity, or religion as a spy or terrorist. If that principle was not learned from the internment of Japanese Americans, then these are very dangerous times for our democracy. Fred Korematsu ethnicity race religion If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don't be afraid to speak up Fred Korematsu speak ifs feelings As long as my record stands in federal court, any American citizen can be held in prison or concentration camps without trial or hearing. I would like to see the government admit they were wrong and do something about it, so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color. Fred Korematsu government color race It may take time to prove you're right, but you have to stick to it. Fred Korematsu take-time sticks may I thought what the military was doing was unconstitutional. Fred Korematsu unconstitutional military I was just living my life, and that's what I wanted to do. Fred Korematsu just-living-life living-my-life wanted One person can make a difference, even if it takes forty years. Fred Korematsu make-a-difference person difference Every day in school, we said the pledge to the flag, 'with liberty and justice for all,' and I believed all that. Fred Korematsu every-day day justice school I was an American citizen, and I had as many rights as anyone else. Fred Korematsu citizen american many rights Before the war, my parents were very proud people. They'd always talk about Japan and also about the samurai and things like that. Right after Pearl Harbor, they were just real quiet. They kept to themselves; they were afraid to talk about what could happen. I assume they knew that nothing good would come out of it. Fred Korematsu parents good war people I don't even know how it is to have a home. I feel like an orphan or something. Fred Korematsu something feel know home I'm Asian, so they assumed I'm not an American and that I come from Japan. Restaurants would refuse to serve me, and places would refuse to give you a haircut. Fred Korematsu haircut american me you As long as my record stands in federal court, any American citizen can be held in prison or concentration camps without a trial or a hearing. Fred Korematsu american without prison long As a citizen of the United States, I am ready, willing, and able to bear arms for this country. Fred Korematsu bear i-am ready country All of them turned their backs on me at that time because they thought I was a troublemaker. Fred Korematsu because thought me time I didn't think that the government would go as far as to include American citizens to be interned without a hearing. Fred Korematsu american go think government If anyone should do any pardoning. I should be the one pardoning the government for what they did to the Japanese-American people. Fred Korematsu did any government people I still remember, 40 years ago, when I was shackled and put in prison... Being an American citizen didn't mean a thing. Fred Korematsu american being prison remember I lost everything when they put us in prison. I was an enemy alien, a man without a country. Fred Korematsu man prison country enemy I was very upset because I did not have a fair trial to prove my loyalty to this country. Fred Korematsu upset prove loyalty country
