ACS Columbus: ALTERNATIVE FACTS Panel Discussion

On July 14, the ACS Columbus Lawyer Chapter and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Central Ohio hosted a panel discussion concerning the film ALTERNATIVE FACTS: The Lies of Executive Order 9066.

ALTERNATIVE FACTS tells the story of false information and political influence that led to the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans and the Supreme Court case of Korematsu, the case of Korematsu, a horrifically-decided case that upheld the constitutionality of the internment of Japanese-Americans. It also examines the parallels to the targeting of minority groups today and similar attempts to abuse the powers of government.

Our distinguished panelists shared reflections on the documentary and connected the lessons of Korematsu to the present. Judge Chen was appointed by President Obama to the federal bench in May 2011 after an illustrious career, including work as a staff attorney at the ACLU, where he specialized in language discrimination cases. Among many other impactful accomplishments, Don Tamaki served on the legal team that reopened the 1944 Korematsu case, overturning Fred Korematsu’s criminal conviction for defying the removal of Japanese Americans. Finally, Dahlia Lithwick speaks frequently on criminal justice reform, reproductive freedom, and religion in the courts, and her columns and podcast untangle the most complex legal issues of our time.

Introductory Remarks:

Anna Sanyal, Member, ACS Columbus Lawyer Chapter Board of Directors and Immediate Past President, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Central Ohio

Featuring:

The Honorable Edward M. Chen, District Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Donald K. Tamaki, Managing Partner, Minami Tamaki

Moderated by:

Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Editor and Legal Correspondent, Slate: Host, Amicus Podcast; Recipient, 2018 ACS Progressive Champion Award