SAN FRANCISCO — The Fred T. Korematsu Institute will celebrate Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution on Sunday, Jan. 30, at 4 p.m. PST in partnership with Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF).
Using education, the institute’s overarching vision is to uphold all human and civil rights by inspiring people to, as Fred Korematsu said, “stand up for what is right” by using his story to connect to current issues like civil and constitutional rights and social justice.
This virtual event includes an educational webinar and the presentation of the inaugural Fred Korematsu Social Justice Award to Daniel Dae Kim, actor, producer, and activist, who has spoken up for the AAPI community in the face of historic xenophobia, advocated for equality and social justice, and promoted the use of COVID-19 vaccines to keep the community safe.
Currently Kim can be seen starring opposite Tony Goldwyn in Nat Geo’s scripted anthology series “The Hot Zone: Anthrax.” The gripping series marks his first leading role and is based on the domestic terror attacks following 9/11.
Additionally, it was recently announced that Kim will join Netflix’s live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” He will play top villain Fire Lord Ozai, the ruthlessly driven leader of the Fire Nation, in the adaptation of the Nickelodeon animated series.
Kim also recently starred in an episode of BJ Novak’s “The Premise,” a fearlessly ambitious new series that uses comedy to engage with the biggest issues of our unprecedented modern era. His episode premiered on FX on Oct. 7 and is available to stream on Hulu.
Kim recently wrapped production on Apple TV+’s anthology series “Roar,” created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch (“GLOW”) and executive produced by Nicole Kidman. It is based on Cecelia Ahern’s book of short stories.
In 2022, Kim can be seen in AMC’s “Pantheon,” an ambitious one-hour animated drama, based on a series of short stories by Ken Liu, featuring the voices of Katie Chang, Paul Dano, Rosemarie DeWitt and Aaron Eckhart.
Kim recently starred in Netflix’s “Stowaway,” opposite Toni Collette, Anna Kendrick and Shamier Anderson, and also lent his vocal talents to Disney+’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” with Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Benedict Wong and Sandra Oh.
Kim’s imperative work as an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion has been documented in the New York Times, Washington Post, ABC News “Nightline” and many more outlets. He has testified in front of Congress twice and was instrumental in the passing of the “COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.”
Kim co-chairs the Advisory Council of the newly formed nonprofit The Asian American Foundation, which was founded to solve the long-standing lack of investment and resources provided to AAPI communities and to be a catalyzing force for creating a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for the 23 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders living in the U.S.
The month of its launch, TAAF announced that through its AAPI Giving Challenge and donations from its board, it raised nearly $1.1 billion in donations and in-kind commitments from partners — the largest philanthropic commitment in history fully focused on supporting AAPI communities. Of that amount, the board raised $125 million for TAAF to support AAPI organizations and causes over the next five years. For additional information, visit www.taaf.org.
Kim’s production company, 3AD, specifically develops content featuring characters that are traditionally underrepresented. For the past five years 3AD has produced the hit ABC show “The Good Doctor,” featuring a doctor with autism. A dramedy series entitled “Shoot the Moon” starring Ken Jeong was just greenlit at Amazon and “This Is Always” is set up at Amazon as well, with Mina Shum writing and directing and Kim in talks to star. 3AD has several more projects in development, including a highly anticipated heist movie with Randall Park.
Kim starred for seven years on the juggernaut series “Hawaii Five-0” and the hit TV series “Lost” and as the King of Siam in Lincoln Center’s Tony Award-winning production of “The King and I.”
Born in Busan, South Korea, and raised in New York and Pennsylvania, Kim discovered acting at Haverford College and then moved to New York City, where he began his career on the New York stage and got his at master’s at NYU’s Tisch. When not working, Kim and his family make their home in Hawaii.
Korematsu’s Story
During World War II, Fred Korematsu (1919-2005), a Bay Area resident, challenged the consitutionality of the government’s mass incarceration of Japanese Americans. Although the Supreme Court ruled against him, he was vindicated in the 1980s when his case was reopened on the basis of new evidence. In 1998, Korematsu received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton.
In 2010, the governor of California signed the legislative bill establishing Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution on Jan. 30 (Korematsu’s birthday) in perpetuity. This is the first statewide day in U.S. history named after an Asian American.
Korematsu’s growing legacy continues to inspire people across diverse communities and demonstrates the importance of speaking up to fight injustice. The Fred T. Korematsu Institute is leading efforts to recognize Korematsu in other states and also achieve a national Fred Korematsu Day to honor his legacy as a civil rights hero for all Americans.
In the fall of 2021, the institute started a new “Get Vaccinated” project educating educators, students, and the public, and working with APIAHF to engage Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations.
The celebration is free of charge and open to the public with event registration. It will be recorded. For more information, visit: https://korematsuinstitute.org