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“To cast this case into outlines of racial prejudice, without reference to the r...

Oct 11, 2023

“To cast this case into outlines of racial prejudice, without reference to the real military dangers which were presented, merely confuses the issue. Korematsu was not excluded from the Military Area because of hostility to him or his race. He was excluded because we are at war with the Japanese Empire, because the properly constituted military authorities feared an invasion of our West Coast and felt constrained to take proper security measures, because they decided that the military urgency of the situation demanded that all citizens of Japanese ancestry be segregated from the West Coast temporarily, and, finally, because Congress, reposing its confidence in this time of war in our military leaders—as inevitably it must— determined that they should have the power to do just this.” —Justice Hugo Black, writing for the majority opinion of the United States Supreme Court in Koremtsu v. United States, 1944 9. The idea expressed in the excerpt demonstrates continuity with which of the following earlier Supreme Court decisions? (A) Decisions allowing for “separate but equal” public facilities, such as Plessy v. Ferguson (B)Decisions limiting the powers of the executive branch, such as Schechter Poultry Corp v. United States (C) Decisions limiting the citizenship rights of certain groups, such as Dred Scott v. Sandford (D) Decisions limiting civil liberties during times of national emergency, such as Schenck v. United States 10. Which of the following was the most immediate result of the decision excerpted? (A)The United States military was forced to compensate Japanese Americans for land they had lost during World War II. (B)The United States military was forced to close detention centers for Italian Americans and German Americans who had been living in East Coast cities and towns. (c)The United States military was permitted to keep over 100,000 Japanese Americans in internment centers for the duration of World War II. (d)President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced a proposal to add additional members to the Supreme Court.

Key Concept

KC-7.3.II.A: During World War II, the U.S. government's internment of Japanese Americans was justified on the grounds of national security, reflecting racial and economic tensions as well as the power of the federal government.

Explanation

The excerpt from Justice Hugo Black's majority opinion in Korematsu v. United States justifies the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II on the grounds of national security. This reflects a continuity with earlier Supreme Court decisions that limited civil liberties during times of national emergency, such as Schenck v. United States, which upheld the Espionage Act of 1917 and stated that freedom of speech could be limited when it presents a "clear and present danger" to the security of the United States.

What is the Schenck v. United States case?, What is the Espionage Act of 1917?, What were the implications of Korematsu v. United States?

10.

Key Concept

KC-7.3.II.A: The U.S. government's internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was a significant violation of civil liberties.

Explanation

The immediate result of the Supreme Court's decision in Korematsu v. United States was that the U.S. military was permitted to keep over 100,000 Japanese Americans in internment centers for the duration of World War II. The decision upheld the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the internment, on the grounds of military necessity.

What was Executive Order 9066?, How did Korematsu v. United States impact Japanese Americans during World War II?, What were the long-term effects of the internment of Japanese Americans?