Civil rights institute named for Korematsu

“Fred Korematsu was an American citizen and the son of Japanese immigrants who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt ordered Japanese Americans from the West Coast to be put in internment camps. Korematsu refused to evacuate but was arrested, convicted, and sent to the Topaz Internment Camp in Utah. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Ernest Besig, Korematsu unsuccessfully sued the U.S. government for violating his constitutional rights. Years later, law professor Peter Irons discovered new evidence and Korematsu re-opened the case. Thirty-nine years after Korematsu’s first arrest, a federal judge reversed Korematsu’s conviction. In 1998, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Korematsu’s civil liberties case bears renewed relevance today.” — www.trackedinamerica.org

On April 28, this year, the Asian Law Caucus launched the Fred Korematsu Institute. Inspired by Korematsu’s legacy, the purpose of the Institute is to advance the cause of Asian American civil rights and human rights through pan-Asian American alliances and programs that focus on education, activism and leadership.

To learn more about the Insitute and Fred Korematsu, go to: http://fredkorematsu.org/

India’s General Elections

India is currently holding their general election, which will end on May 13th. Around 714 million are eligible to vote – twice the size of the U.S. population! This link has some interesting basic facts and figures on the elections of the largest democracy in the world: http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-39065820090415?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Check out columnist Namita Bhandare’s take on what will be remembered about this year’s elections: http://www.livemint.com/2009/04/27214853/How-will-we-remember-this-gene.html?h=B

Race to Space: Asian Americans, stereotypes in Star Trek’s Final Frontier

John Cho (better known for his role in Harold and Kumar) plays Sulu in the new Star Trek movie (released May 8).

The following article featured in Hyphen Magazine discusses racial stereotypes of Asians and Asian Americans in film: http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/content/view/114/1/

31 artists reflect on and reinterpret contemporary Chinese culture

“Presented by the Chinese Culture Center in collaboration with Kearny Street Workshop, this biennial exhibition showcases vibrant and diverse perspectives on contemporary Chinese culture. Featuring artists from the Bay Area and beyond, the show includes a wide array of media at the Center’s main gallery and in storefronts throughout Chinatown.”

Admission is FREE. Exhibit will be up until August 2009.

To find out more about the exhibit go to: http://presenttense.us/

EXHIBIT LOCATION:

Chinese Culture Center
750 Kearny Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108

OR

Satellite Installation throughout Chinatown:
55 Columbus Street
664, 665 and 667 Clay Street
17 Walter U. Lum Place
704, 708, 701 and 716 Kearny Street

“Thai Protests Reveal Deep Divisions”

Three Thai prime ministers since 2006 have been forced from office; one by military coup and the other two by the courts. Who are the “red shirts” and what are their central grievances? How are they different from the group whose protests last year shut down Bangkok’s airports? This brief article from the New York Times on the recent anti-government protests in Thailand addresses these questions and provides an overview of some of the social rifts dividing this popular tourist destination. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/world/asia/15bangkok.html?hp