University's Constitution Day Event Centers Around the U.S. Supreme Court Case Connected to World War II at Park University
On September 22, 2022, Park University will host its annual Constitution Day event, celebrating the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. This year, the event will take on a special significance as it coincides with the University's 80th anniversary of admitting Nisei (second-generation Japanese American) students in 1942.
The keynote speaker for this historic occasion will be Lorraine K. Bannai, J.D., professor emerita and director emerita of the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality at Seattle University's School of Law. Bannai is a renowned scholar and author, specialising in Japanese American history, particularly the incarceration during World War II.
Bannai's lecture, titled "Racism, the Rule of Law and Seeking Healing: Lessons of the Japanese American Incarceration," promises to be an enlightening exploration of the legal battles for redress, civil rights implications, and the broader impact of wartime policies on Japanese Americans.
Park University has received a $7,000 grant from the Missouri Humanities Council to support a Nisei-related exhibit and this year's Constitution Day speaker. In addition, the University received a $46,400 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to digitise archival records of the University's Nisei students and other Missouri colleges that enrolled between 1942 and 1945.
The incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II continues to have haunting relevance during the present national conversation about race. Approximately 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry were rounded up from their West Coast homes and moved to concentration camps due to fear of espionage and sabotage. Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin Roosevelt, authorised the removal of people of Japanese ancestry from designated military areas and surrounding communities during World War II.
Bannai co-authored the book "Race, Rights and National Security: Law and the Japanese American Incarceration" and has testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the wartime Japanese American incarceration. She also authored a biography of Fred Korematsu titled "Enduring Conviction: Fred Korematsu and His Quest for Justice."
It is important to note that Bannai was part of the legal team that successfully overturned Korematsu's World War II-era conviction in 1983. This pivotal moment in rectifying the injustices of wartime incarceration came through a coram nobis legal proceeding, which revealed government suppression of critical evidence disproving allegations of espionage by Japanese Americans.
Admission to the event is free and open to the public. The event will occur at 3 p.m. in the Jenkin and Barbara David Theater inside Alumni Hall on the Parkville Campus. The lecture will be livestreamed via Park's video portal at the website/constitutionday.
We invite you to join us in this important and enlightening event, as we reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to a future grounded in the principles of equality and justice for all.
[1] For a more comprehensive understanding of Lorraine K. Bannai's involvement in overturning Korematsu's conviction, readers are encouraged to consult additional resources beyond the scope of this article.
Lorraine K. Bannai's lecture at Park University's Constitution Day event promises to delve into the broader impact of wartime policies on Japanese Americans, including the legal battles for redress and civil rights implications (education-and-self-development). Alongside her renowned work on Japanese American history, Bannai has been instrumental in the rectification of the injustices of wartime incarceration through her role in overturning Korematsu's World War II-era conviction (politics and general-news).
