Ernest Besig

Title

Ernest Besig

Description

Ernest Besig was the Founder and Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Northern California from 1934-1971. In 1942, Besig visited Fred Korematsu in jail after Korematsu refused to be relocated. Besig asked if Korematsu would be the plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the forced removal of people of Japanese ancestry as a violation of basic constitutional rights. Besig explained that strong anti-Japanese prejudice, coupled with judicial deference to wartime military decisions, made their prospects grim. Nevertheless, Korematsu agreed to be a plaintiff. Besig‚'s assessment proved right, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the exclusion laws. However, the case eventually became a symbol of injustice. Korematsu later recalled that Besig ‚"was sticking his neck out for me‚" because ‚"at the time, racial prejudice was pretty strong.‚" Besig had even faced opposition from within the national ACLU to bring the case forward. His willingness to continue, regardless of objections, is a powerful example of solidarity. During the war, Besig and the ACLU also investigated harsh conditions in the incarceration camps and defended the rights of conscientious objectors.

Type

Image

Identifier

AIAA-A.47

Subject

Loyalty & Resistance

Solidarity & Resistance

Rights

Unknown. Permission to use in exhibition.

Date

circa 1938