Fred Korematsu's resistance against the forced internment of Japanese Americans during WWII illustrates the power of ordinary citizens to defy injustice. OF CIVIL WRONGS AND RIGHTS portrays Korematsu's personal courage during and after
the war, while exploring the larger social and constitutional significance of his case.

The film recounts Korematsu's struggle through his personal testimony, interviews and archival footage, interspersed with dramatic reenactments. His refusal to comply with incarceration made him a criminal in the eyes of the law and alienated him from the Japanese American community whose leadership had chosen to cooperate with the government. Korematsu's arrest and later conviction for defying the military order demonstrates the complicity of the judicial system in suspending constitutional rights. Not until years later, when documents revealing suppression of evidence and false representation emerged, was Korematsu able to challenge the initial verdict as well as the internment itself, never expecting that his personal struggle would lead to a landmark civil rights victory 39 years later.

Korematsu's story is also a cautionary tale of political scapegoating--racism masked as military necessity. His experiences with the law demonstrate that the struggle for justice goes beyond vindicating one man or even an entire community. The multitudes of instances, in which American constitutional rights have been wrongly suspended, both historically and presently underscore this story's contemporary relevance.