Enduring Conviction

"Excellent. . . . In Enduring Conviction, [Lorraine Bannai] skillfully weaves the story of the landmark court case with Fred’s personal journey. . . . Her elegant telling of the story of the incarceration and Fred Korematsu’s fight against it could not be more timely. . . . Hopefully, the inspiration provided by Fred Korematsu may be an even more enduring response to injustice."

"Enduring Conviction shows how politics and racial prejudice can conspire to trample the civil rights of an entire racial group during a time of war, based on fabricated claims of military necessity. . . . Bannai’s volume is a worthwhile read for those interested in learning about some of the worst events and court rulings in American history, and serves as a reminder that the constitutional rights of American citizens should also be safeguarded during times of war, and in the darkest times of American history."

"A remarkable story of a man who stood up and spoke out in the same tradition of others in this country who have spoken out against oppression and discrimination. This is what makes America strong – people who have faith in our ideals and who have the guts to stand up for them. Fred Korematsu was an ordinary man who did extraordinary deeds, and with that he made history."

"Wonderful! A moving portrait of a seemingly ordinary man, motivated by love, whose passionate resistance transformed him into Fred Korematsu - an icon of the Japanese American Redress movement, and a true defender of American liberties."

"Enduring Conviction brilliantly tells the story of an ordinary American with extraordinary courage. Lorraine Bannai has given us the best biography of a litigant in a famous - and infamous - Supreme Court case that has yet been written."

"Bannai unravels, like an engaging novel, the story of Fred Korematsu, the wrongs he endured, and the fortitude he demonstrated. A quiet and modest citizen who thought he’d lost his country, Korematsu and his courage give hope to the rest of us – that we too can stand up to right injustice."

"Lorraine Bannai had a frontline position in the struggle for Japanese American inclusion, and her telling of one man's story is so much more than that. She shows that in times of crisis, the appeal of authoritarian, scapegoating rhetoric is a menace to democracy. The Korematsu story is about fighting back against fear and hate, thereby holding our nation to its highest ideals."