Jim Degel, and UC Irvine Law Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law Austen Parrish
IRVINE, Calif. (Oct. 24, 2024) — The University of California, Irvine School of Law hosted a celebration on Oct. 22 marking the official opening of the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality on campus. The program, attended by more than 150 people, featured remarks from Professor Robert S. Chang, the Center’s executive director; Dr. Karen Korematsu, founder and president of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute; California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who delivered a keynote address; and long-time friends and supporters of the Center who flew down from Seattle. Also attending and speaking at the event were over two dozen leaders from a wide range of public interest organizations and bar associations, including President Anna Mercado Clark and Incoming President Thy Bui of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
In addition to formally welcoming the Korematsu Center to UC Irvine, UC Irvine Law Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law Austen Parrish announced the establishment of the Sylvia Mendez Presidential Chair for Civil Rights and installation of Prof. Chang as the inaugural chair holder, made possible by a generous gift from the Berwick Degel Family Foundation. The chair’s namesake, Sylvia Mendez — a renowned civil rights advocate whose landmark case, Mendez v. Westminster School District of Orange County, played a crucial role in ending school segregation in California — was in attendance for the momentous occasion.
The program also included an unveiling of portrait photography featuring Fred T. Korematsu and Rosa Parks that the Korematsu family has gifted to the school which will be installed in the Law School’s front entrance way.
While honoring Fred Korematsu’s legacy, the Center will focus on civil rights issues that impact local communities. In addition to research (including book projects) and educational programming (including post-graduate fellowships), the Center will continue its work partnering with law firms, non-profits, and advocacy organizations to file both amicus briefs and to do some limited direct representation. The Center will also continue its legacy of meaningful advocacy with plans to launch a new clinic at UC Irvine Law in the fall of 2025. This clinic will give law students hands-on experience working on critical civil rights cases, furthering the Center’s dedication to training the next generation of legal advocates. Listen to Prof. Chang’s interview on the UCI Podcast to learn more about the Korematsu Center’s move to UC Irvine Law.
“My job in carrying on my father’s legacy is in protecting it and promoting its sustainability, and I can tell you that my parents would be thrilled that the Korematsu Center has made UC Irvine School of Law its new home” said Dr. Karen Korematsu, founder and president of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute. Dr. Korematsu is the first honorary non-lawyer member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and serves on Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC’s board of directors.
My job in carrying on my father’s legacy is in protecting it and promoting its sustainability, and I can tell you that my parents would be thrilled that the Korematsu Center has made UC Irvine School of Law its new home.
Dr. Karen Korematsu, founder and president of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute
“What I’ve learned is it’s about the students,” she continued. “It’s about what they can learn now and the inspiration that you want them to take away. Having the opportunity here at UC Irvine School of Law — with the clinics, the students and the professors that you have — I’m just so encouraged about this generation and future generations. Thank you to UC Irvine School of Law, Dean Parrish, the students, the faculty and of course, Professor Robert Chang, for helping to carry on my father’s legacy and to ensure that the next generation has the skills sets that we need to uphold the rule of law in our country and our democracy.”
Following Dr. Korematsu’s remarks, Attorney General Rob Bonta, delivered a keynote address in which he discussed the key role attorneys serve as change agents.
“This is a moving, exciting and momentous occasion,” said AG Bonta. “The Korematsu Center is an incredible addition to UC Irvine and an incredible addition to California. We are honored to have Professor Chang here and to have the Center here with him.”
He continued, “When we look back at the injustices Fred Korematsu faced at the hands of our institutions, it’s easy to assume that something like this could never happen again. But if that were so, we would not need this center. What the Korematsu Center stands for, what Sylvia Mendez and Fred Korematsu’s families stand for, is that tomorrow does not have to be the same. We have the power to create change for a better tomorrow, for a more just world and a fairer society. It is incumbent on us to do it. Attorneys are agents of change in combating those injustices.”
Professor Robert S. Chang, executive director of the Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, concluded his remarks by reflecting, “When I look out at the horizon, I see both what is as well as what might be. I hope that you will find ways to work with the Korematsu Center. Let us work together toward that more just world we know is there on the horizon, to bring that more just world closer to us.”
Founded by Prof. Chang in 2009 at the Seattle University School of Law, the Korematsu Center honors the legacy of Fred T. Korematsu, the civil rights hero who famously defied the U.S. government’s exclusion orders during World War II and whose landmark legal battle challenged the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans. Korematsu’s commitment to justice and civil liberties continues to inspire the Center’s work in advocating for racial equality, combating systemic injustices, and fostering meaningful legal and social change.
Prof. Chang, whose scholarly work centers on civil rights and racial equity, sees the Center’s relocation to UC Irvine as a significant opportunity to expand its reach and amplify its impact.
“UC Irvine’s commitment to public service and social justice provides the ideal platform for us to build what we are calling ‘Korematsu Center 2.0.’ We look forward to announcing new initiatives that will further our mission of creating a more just and equitable society,” he said.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality’s official opening at UC Irvine Law,” said Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law Austen Parrish. “The Center’s mission aligns perfectly with our values, and we look forward to working alongside Prof. Chang to honor Fred Korematsu’s legacy. Karen Korematsu and Sylvia Mendez are inspirations for our students, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all the judges, bar association presidents, heads of public interest organizations, civil rights attorneys, and community leaders who joined our faculty, students, and alumni for this special event.
For more information about the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality and its upcoming initiatives, visit law.uci.edu/centers/korematsu and sign up for updates.
Read the Orange County Register’s coverage of the Korematsu Center for Law and Equality’s opening celebration (subscription required).
About the University of California, Irvine School of Law
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