Albany, NY – On Tuesday, April 28th, Assemblymember Grace Lee, Chair of the New York State Assembly Asian Pacific American (APA) Task Force along with Senator Shelley Mayer, and a coalition of legislators, community leaders and advocates in Albany to rally in support of advancing legislation to establish January 30 Fred Korematsu Advocacy Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution(A4932/S2587) in New York State, an annual day of commemoration for Japanese American Fred Korematsu.

Fred Korematsu became a civil rights icon after challenging the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, a case that reached the United States Supreme Court. His legacy remains one of the most important reminders of the need to safeguard constitutional rights, particularly during moments of national crisis.

“Fred Korematsu Day would be a long-overdue first for New York: the first day honoring an Asian American historical figure,” said Assemblymember Grace Lee, Chair of the APA Task Force. “Fred Korematsu stood against the incarceration of Japanese Americans when fear overpowered justice, and history proved he was right. His courage helped shape our nation’s understanding of civil rights, and his legacy deserves to be recognized. This bill is about honoring Fred Korematsu and affirming that Asian Americans have helped shape our history and belong in the stories we choose to celebrate.”

State Senator Shelley Mayer said, “I am honored to welcome Dr. Karen Korematsu, Koji Sato, and Tak Furumoto to Albany today to recognize them for their pivotal work promoting the legacy of Fred Korematsu. I am proud to sponsor the legislation to proclaim January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution in the Senate, which has passed the Senate unanimously three times, and to sponsor it alongside my colleague Assemblymember Grace Lee, Chair of the Asian Pacific American Task Force. It is incredibly important that the next generation is educated on American history and its sad history of detaining Japanese Americans and their fight for equal constitutional and civil rights.”

Notable advocates for the bill who attended the rally include: Tak Furumoto, a survivor of the Japanese Incarceration and Vietnam War veteran; Saki Mori, Executive Director of the Japanese American Citizens League; Koji Sato, President of the Japanese American Association of New York.

New York has long recognized key figures in the fight for justice, but has not formally designated any day honoring an Asian American leader. Passage of the bill would mark a historic step in ensuring that Asian American history is recognized as an essential part of New York’s and the nation’s civil rights legacy.