As long as my record stands in federal court, any American citizen can be held in prison or concentration camps without a trial or a hearing.
Fred KorematsuRead
One person can make a difference, even if it takes forty years.
Interpretation
Even a single individual's efforts can lead to significant change over time.
This quote by Fred Korematsu emphasizes the power of individual action and persistence in effecting change, suggesting that one person, through dedication and resilience, can have a lasting impact on society, even if that change takes decades. It serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up for what is right and the potential for one voice to inspire and lead transformation.
In practice
During a speech about activism, one might use this quote to inspire audience members to take action.
As long as my record stands in federal court, any American citizen can be held in prison or concentration camps without a trial or a hearing.
I lost everything when they put us in prison. I was an enemy alien, a man without a country.
All of them turned their backs on me at that time because they thought I was a troublemaker.
Every day in school, we said the pledge to the flag, 'with liberty and justice for all,' and I believed all that.
I'm Asian, so they assumed I'm not an American and that I come from Japan. Restaurants would refuse to serve me, and places would refuse to give you a haircut.
My folks were so worried about what they were going to do. All they can take was what they could carry with their hands. What they had for twenty-five years of building their business was going to go out the door, or they're going to lose it.
The only thing is I am a little bit ashamed of is I didn't come out earlier, that I didn't have the strength to do it, the courage to break that lie. But everyone goes on their own path to do this, and I don't want the struggle to be so hard for other people.
Fear can have a voice, but it doesn't get a vote.
My countrymen should have nerves of steel, muscles of iron, and minds like thunderbolt.
Warriorship does not refer to making war on others. Aggression is the source of our problems, not the solution. Warriorship is the tradition of human bravery, or the tradition of fearlessness.
To be knocked out doesn't mean what it seems. A boxer does not have to get up.
Citizenship means standing up for everyone's right to vote.***
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