I am deeply honored to have recently been elected Chair of the Board of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute. As I begin this role, I am writing not simply to introduce myself, but to ask you to join us in ensuring that Fred’s courage continues to reach and inspire generations to come.

For those who may not know me, I have spent much of my life in public service—as a Coast Guard officer, prosecutor, judge, judicial educator, and most recently as President and CEO of the National Judicial College. I now teach National Security Law at UCI Law, where my students wrestle with questions that lie at the heart of Fred Korematsu’s story: How do we protect our nation while safeguarding individual liberty? What happens when fear influences the exercise of government power? And who will stand for constitutional principles when doing so is difficult or unpopular?

Those are not simply questions from our history. They are questions for our time.

Fred’s story reminds us what can happen when fear and prejudice overwhelm constitutional principles. But his story also offers something profoundly hopeful: one person, standing on principle, can make a difference.

For years, Karen Korematsu, our Founder, President & CEO, has carried her father’s legacy forward with extraordinary passion, persistence, and love. Through her tireless leadership, Fred’s story has become far more than a chapter in a history book. It has become a living lesson—educating students and teachers, strengthening civic understanding, advancing civil rights, and inspiring people to find the courage to stand up for others.

Karen has carried that legacy across a generation. Now we must help ensure that it reaches the next one.

The Fred T. Korematsu Institute is entering an important new chapter. We are fortunate to welcome Courtney Peagler as our new Executive Director to co-lead the organization with Karen, bringing new leadership, energy, and ideas to this work. Our Board also includes many new members who have stepped forward to serve.

Together, we have been entrusted with something precious.

Our responsibility is not simply to preserve Fred’s legacy. Our responsibility is to make it matter—to a student encountering Fred’s story for the first time, to a teacher helping young people understand the meaning of constitutional rights, and to communities confronting difficult questions about belonging, equality, justice, and the rule of law.

And we must build an Institute strong enough to carry that work far into the future.

Over the coming year, our Board will work with Karen, Courtney, our staff, educators, partners, and supporters to expand the reach of our educational programs, build new partnerships, bring Fred’s story to more students and communities, strengthen the Institute’s national voice, and build the sustainable financial foundation this mission deserves.

But we cannot do it without you. You are part of this remarkable legacy.

To those of you who have supported the Fred T. Korematsu Institute before, thank you. I hope you will renew your support today—and, if you are able, consider making an even more generous investment in the Institute’s future.

If you have not yet supported the Institute, I invite you to join us.

Your gift does more than preserve history. It puts history to work.

With gratitude,

Hon. Benes Z. Aldana (Ret.)
Chair of the Board
Fred T. Korematsu Institute®




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