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- [00:00]
Martha Stewart
This holiday season, reach for the one butter that never disappoints. Kerrygold. Made with milk from grass fed cows on Irish family farms, it's rich, creamy and perfect for baking. Whether browning butter for cookies or crafting the flakiest pie crust, Kerrygold's high butterfat content makes all the difference in flavor and texture. Holiday treats will taste extraordinary.
- [00:36]
Lindsey Graham
It's May 30, 1942, in San Leandro, California. Neatly dressed in a pressed shirt and cap, 23 year old Fred Korematsu walks alone down a sunbaked street. He checks his wristwatch and quickens his pace because he's running late to meet his girlfriend. The air shimmers with heat all across California. Temperatures are rising, and so are suspicions. America is at war with Japan, and on the west coast, that doesn't just mean curfews and blackouts. Thousands of Japanese Americans like Fred have been detained as potential spies or saboteurs. But Fred has some protection. In his pocket are forged documents that list him as Spanish American. But Fred still wonders if there'll be enough. And out of the corner of his eye, Fred notices a police officer across the street speaking into his radio. Fred doesn't break stride, though he tries to act like he has every right to be here. But then the officer crosses the street and demands to see Fred's id. Fred reaches into his pocket and produces a beige card, a draft registration listing him as Clyde Serra, born in California to Spanish and Hawaiian parents. The officer studies the card, glances at Fred, then back at the card. Fred's palms begin to slick with sweat and his heart starts pounding. After a pause, though, the officer hands the card back. Fred exhales, forces a smile, then continues down the street. But before he's gone more than a few steps, the officer blows his whistle. Fred turns to see a police car swinging around the corner. It screeches to a halt by his side and two officers leap out. They seize Fred and cuff him. As they push him into their car, his forged ID slips from his hand and falls face up on the sidewalk. The name Clyde Serra stares back, a name that belongs to no one. Fred Korematsu is just one of thousands of Japanese Americans caught up in the government crackdown after Pearl Harbor. But his case will become unique when a local civil rights lawyer offers to defend him in court. The legal battle that follows will eventually reach the highest authority in the land, and the Supreme Court will deliver one of its most controversial judgments when it rules on the limits of federal power in wartime. On December 18, 19, 44. Before we get back to the episode, a quick update on my live tour. The first show will be in Dallas, Texas on March 6th at the Granada Theater. It's going to be a thrilling evening of history, storytelling and music, looking back to explore the days that made America. And did I mention music? Yes, because I'm bringing a full band with me. So come out and see me live in Dallas. For more information on tickets and upcoming dates, go to historydailylive.com that's historydailylive.com Come see my days that Made America tour live on stage. Go to historydailylive.com the holidays are about.
- [03:42]
Martha Stewart
Giving something truly special. I'm Martha Stewart and I believe the best gifts aren't just beautiful, they they're useful every single day. Lennox has brought timeless beauty and lasting quality to our tables for generations, and their Lenox Spice Village is the perfect holiday gift for someone you love or for yourself. It's more than a spice rack. It's a charming collection of hand painted houses that turn ordinary spices into extraordinary experiences. Imagine cinnamon from a tiny Victorian cottage or oregano from a pastel townhouse. Suddenly, a simple meal becomes a moment to savor. Because spices can be more than ingredients, they can inspire memories, warmth and joy all year long. Give a gift that lasts beyond the holidays. Discover the collection@lenox.com SpiceVillage Think about the.
- [04:40]
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- [05:40]
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- [06:10]
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- [06:19]
Lindsey Graham
A new car this year.
- [06:21]
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- [06:42]
Lindsey Graham
From noiser and airship, I'm lindsey graham and this is history. Daily. History is made every day on this podcast. Every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is December 18, 1944. The Korematsu case It's the morning of December 7, 1941, six months before the arrest of Fred Korematsu. In a parked car overlooking San Francisco Bay, 22 year old Fred lounges in the driver's seat and his left arm resting on the open window, his right draped around his girlfriend's shoulder. The couple takes in the glittering water and the red arc of the Golden Gate Bridge. A soft tune drifts from the car radio until suddenly, the music cuts out. It's a breaking news bulletin. The announcer's voice trembles as he reveals that the American naval base at Pearl harbor in Hawaii has been attacked, several ships have been sunk, and thousands of servicemen are dead or wounded. Fred stares at the crackling radio, horrified by the enormous loss of life. And then, when news emerges that the Japanese Air Force is responsible, cold dread settles over him. Even though he's thousands of miles away from Pearl Harbor, Fred knows that this attack will have consequences for him, too. Fred was born in Oakland, California, the third son of Japanese immigrants who had moved to the United States in 1905. Like so many other newcomers before them, Fred's parents strived to achieve the American dream, and they started a flower nursery where Fred often worked as a child. But being Japanese American has never been easy. After diplomatic relations between Japan and America Soured in the 1930s, Fred endured racist taunts at school. Then, after graduating, he tried to join the army but was rejected. And the officer dealing with his application left Fred in no doubt that it was because of the way he looked. No matter what his birth certificate said or how American Fred felt, many others only saw him as Japanese. And then, the day after the attack on Pearl harbor, the United States declares war on Japan. And on the west coast, the shock quickly hardens into anger and anti Japanese hysteria. Shops ban Japanese American customers. FBI agents arrest Japanese American priests and community leaders. Life magazine even publishes a guide on how to tell between the wicked Japanese and the friendly Chinese by the shape of their noses. Then, in early 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gives this prejudice the government stamp of approval. He signs Executive Order 9066, giving the military the power to remove Japanese Americans from vulnerable areas. The army immediately posts bulletins on telephone poles ordering every person of Japanese descent living on the west coast to report for relocation. Soon, tens of thousands of Japanese Americans are languishing in remote relocation centers with barbed wire and guard towers. These facilities are little more than concentration camps, and Fred Korematsu has no intention of going to one voluntarily. So when the bulletins appear in his neighborhood, Fred helps his parents and brothers pack their belongings and close up their home. But he refuses to join the others and hand himself to the authorities. He can't bring himself to obey an order he believes is not only unjust, but is a violation of everything that America stands for. So he stays behind, hoping that no one will notice him. But as the weeks pass, his task becomes harder and harder. Military patrols roam the streets, and President Roosevelt declares all all Japanese nationals over the age of 14 to be alien enemies. Fred feels like a hunted man, so he cuts his hair short and moves between rented rooms in Oakland and San Leandro. He keeps off main streets whenever he can and carries forged papers that identify him as a Spanish Hawaiian laborer by the name of Clyde Serra. He even has an operation to alter the shape of his nose, hoping it will hide his Japanese features. And for a while, it all works. But on May 30, 1942, Fred's luck runs out. A police officer spots him walking through San Leandro and isn't fooled by Fred's papers. He's arrested and charged with violating military law. And at first, Fred's arrest is just one among hundreds of others. But soon his plight catches the attention of a local civil rights advocate. And with his help, Fred. Fred Korematsu will put his name to a case that will challenge the limits of government authority and test the strength of liberty in America.
- [11:43]
Martha Stewart
I'm Martha Stewart and I believe the best gifts are not only beautiful, but useful every single day. And Lenox has brought timeless beauty and lasting quality to our tables for generations. And their Lenox Spice Village is the perfect holiday gift for someone you love or for yourself. Spice Village transforms everyday spices into inspired memories filled with warmth and joy all year long. Give a gift that lasts beyond the holidays. Discover the collection@lenox.com SpiceVillage you really want.
- [12:19]
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- [13:19]
MyFico Advertiser
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- [13:28]
Lindsey Graham
A new car this year.
- [13:30]
Rocket Money Advertiser
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- [13:47]
Martha Stewart
Today, the holidays are about giving something truly special. I'm Martha Stewart and I believe the best gifts aren't just beautiful, they're useful every single day. Lennox has brought timeless beauty and lasting quality to our tables for generations, and their Lennox Spice Village is the perfect holiday gift for someone you love or for yourself. It's more than a spice rack, it's a charming collection of hand painted houses that turn ordinary spices into extraordinary experiences. Imagine cinnamon from a tiny Victorian cottage or oregano from a pastel townhouse. Suddenly, a simple meal becomes a moment to savor. Because spices can be more than ingredients, they can inspire memories, warmth and joy all year long. Give a gift that lasts beyond the holidays. Discover the collection@lenox.com SpiceVillage.
- [14:56]
Lindsey Graham
It's May 31, 1942, in the San Leandro jail, the day after Fred Korematsu's arrest. Fred sits on a metal cot in the cell where he spent the night. The walls are bare, the air is stale. It's a bleak place to wake up in, and Fred knows he could spend months or maybe even years in a cell just like this one. Fred looks up to the sound of keys jangling and the crunch of metal in the lock. He rises to his feet as a guard opens a cell door and tells Fred to follow him. He has a meeting with his lawyer. Fred frowns because he doesn't have a lawyer, but he follows the guard to the conference room anyway, where a smartly dressed man in his late 30s is waiting for him. After the guard has gone, the man introduces himself as Ernest Bessick, the director of the North Northern California branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. Earnest explains that the ACLU is concerned by the arrests of Japanese Americans. For months they've been debating how to challenge the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, and they're looking for a test case, and Ernest thinks Fred is the perfect candidate. Fred listens carefully, then nods. This is a chance to expose the injustice of dangerous Japanese internment. It'll be a long fight, but Fred is ready. His first appearance in federal court comes just over three months later, in September 1942. Fred is represented by a team of lawyers from the ACLU who argue that the government has violated Fred's constitutional rights. He's being punished not for what he's done, but who he is, and the law has been applied differently because of his race. The government attorney attorney counters that national security demands swift action. America must be protected from sabotage and invasion, and that is of greater importance than any one individual's rights. The judge agrees, and the ACLU suit is dismissed. Fred is then convicted of illegally entering a military zone and placed on five years probation, so he's avoided prison time, but he isn't free. He's still subject to the orders excluded including Japanese Americans from the west coast, and the authorities aren't about to let him get away again. As soon as he leaves the courtroom, Fred is taken into custody while his lawyers lodge in appeal. He's transferred first to an assembly center at a racetrack outside San Francisco. And from there he's sent to Topaz War Relocation center in Utah. 100 miles south of Salt Lake City, this camp stretches across a barren desert plain. Dust storms sweep through the rows of wooden barracks. The floors are just dirt, and the walls are cracked. Each room is lit only by a single light bulb. And though here at Topaz, Fred is reunited with his parents and brothers, the family reunion is a strained one. The others worry Fred's public defiance will make them targets for the authorities. And it's not just his family who give Fred the cold shoulder. In the mess hall and in the barracks, he's treated like an outcast. No one wants to risk making their own situation worse by associating with a troublemaker like him. But despite his isolation, Fred refuses to withdraw his appeal against his sentence. The principle is too important to him. His case is still working its way through the courts, though. When the government begins to ease the internment program later, in the fall of 1942, those who can find employment outside the coastal exclusion zone are allowed to apply for release. Fred can't do that and remains stuck behind barbed wire. But a year later, he gets his own chance to leave. Every detainee at Topaz is given a questionnaire to test how American they really are. The final two questions are the most. Are the respondents willing to serve in the US Army? And will they forswear all allegiance or obedience to to the Japanese emperor? Fred answers yes to both questions and applies to be released in January 1944. After more than 18 months of imprisonment and internment, Fred's application is approved. He eventually moves to Detroit with two of his brothers. But he can't shake the shadow of injustice. Fred still faces prejudice wherever he goes. And what's worse, the American court system seems to endorse it. Fred's appeal against his conviction in 1942 is rejected. The judges repeat the original court's finding that Executive Order 9066 was justified by military necessity. But Ernest Bessig and the rest of Fred's legal team refused to give up. And in March 1944, the Supreme Court agrees to hear Fred's case. This is the final opportunity to get his conviction overturned and to right the wrongs of the Japanese American internment. Nine justices will hold Fred's fate in their hands. And in one of the most infamous decisions the court will ever hand down, they will decide whether the government can imprison American citizens without charge, trial or conviction.
- [19:55]
Martha Stewart
I'm Martha Stewart and I believe the best gifts are not only beautiful, but useful every single day. And Lenox has brought timeless beauty and lasting quality to our tables for generations. And their Lenox Spice Village is the perfect holiday gift for someone you love or for yourself. Spice Village transforms everyday spices into inspired memories filled with warmth and joy all year long. Give a gift that lasts beyond the holidays. Discover the collection at Lenox.
- [20:31]
Rocket Money Advertiser
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- [21:31]
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- [21:42]
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- [21:43]
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- [22:02]
Martha Stewart
The holidays are about giving something truly special. I'm Martha Stewart and I believe the best gifts aren't just beautiful, they're useful every single day. Lennox has brought timeless beauty and lasting quality to our tables for generations and their Lenox Spice Village is the perfect holiday gift for someone you love or for yourself. It's more than a spice rack, it's a charming collection of hand painted houses that turn ordinary spices into extraordinary experiences. Imagine cinnamon from a tiny Victorian cottage or oregano from a pastel townhouse. Suddenly, a simple meal becomes a moment to savor. Because spices can be more than ingredients, they can inspire memories, warmth, and joy all year long. Give a gift that lasts beyond the holidays. Discover the collection@lenox.com SpiceVillage.
- [23:09]
Lindsey Graham
It's December 18, 1944, in Washington, D.C. eight months after the Supreme Court agreed to hear Fred Korematsu's case, Associate Justice Hugo Black takes his position on the bench in the nation's highest court. He glances around the crowded chamber. Attorneys from both sides wait tensely at their tables, and reporters fill every spare seat. This is no ordinary ruling. It's a case that has gripped the nation. Two months earlier, the nine Supreme Court justices heard arguments over whether the United States can detain citizens without trial. Government lawyers claimed the policy was a matter of wartime necessity, that the mass evacuation of Japanese Americans protected the country from espionage and invasion. Fred's lawyers countered that national security did not justify the incarceration of innocent people based solely on their race. Now, as the chamber falls silent, Justice Black clears his throat and begins to read a summary of the majority decision. The court has accepted the government's argument that the exclusion of Japanese Americans was not based on hostility to race. Fred Korematsu's conviction for defying military orders is upheld, but the decision is not unanimous. Three dissenting justices say the military orders go over the very brink of constitutional power and fall into the ugly abyss of racism. They also work warned that the decision will lie around like a loaded weapon for any future administration that might claim military necessity overrules the rights of an entire ethnic group. The highest court in the land has ruled, and Fred Korematsu has lost. But the publicity around the case does pressure the government to act. President Roosevelt rescinds Executive Order 9066, allowing Japanese Americans to return to the west coast coast, and most of the remaining concentration camps begin to close. Still, it will be decades before the full story behind this dark chapter comes to light. In the early 1980s, researchers will uncover documents proving that officials knowingly hid evidence that Japanese Americans posed no threat to national security. That revelation will allow Fred Korematsu's conviction to finally be overturned and lay later, in 1998, he will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. This award will recognize his long fight for justice, a struggle that Fred began when the orders targeting Japanese Americans were first introduced and one he continued even after The Supreme Court ruled against him on December 18, 1944. Next on History Daily December 19, 1843 Charles Dickens introduces readers to grumpy miser Ebenezer Scrooge in his festive classic, A Christmas Carol. From Noiser and Ayerschuk, this is History Daily Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohammed Shazi Sound design by Molly Bach Music by Thrum. This episode is written and researched by Olivia Jordan. Edited by Scott Reeves Managing Producer Emily Byrne Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.
- [26:39]
Martha Stewart
I'm Martha Stewart and I believe the best gifts are not only beautiful, but useful every single day. And Lenox has brought timeless beauty and lasting quality to our tables for generations. And their Lenox Spice Village is the perfect holiday gift for someone you love or for yourself. Spice Village transforms everyday spices into inspired memories filled with warmth and joy all year long. Give a gift that lasts beyond the holidays. Discover the collection@lenox.com SpiceVillage this holiday season, reach for the one butter that never disappoints Kerrygold. Made with milk from grass fed cows on Irish family farms, it's rich, creamy and perfect for baking. Whether browning butter for cookies or crafting the flakiest pie crust, Kerrygold's high butterfat content makes all the difference in flavor and texture. Holiday treats will taste extraordinary While holiday.
- [27:41]
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- [27:52]
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- [27:52]
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