Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi, just 22 years old at the time, courageously challenged the incarceration of her fellow Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II. She refused an offer of early release and remained in a concentration camp so that her petition for habeas corpus could be heard by the federal courts. Her sacrifice was not in vain: On December 18, 1944, the Supreme Court decided Ex parte Endo, holding unanimously that loyal Japanese Americans could not be imprisoned without cause. Endo’s case played a significant role in the closing of the concentration camps and the return of Japanese Americans to the West Coast in 1945 and 1946.

As we approach the 80th anniversary of the Endo decision, it is long past time to appreciate, recognize, and honor Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi. Not only was her case one of just four challenges to the Japanese American incarceration to reach the Supreme Court, but Endo was also the lone woman litigant and the only one to achieve a successful outcome. The three men who challenged the incarceration in the Supreme Court—Fred Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi, and Minoru Yasui—have all received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Endo was as courageous, determined, and willing to fight injustice as those principled men. Yet her case is seldom cited and she has been recognized rarely, perhaps because she was a woman.

Endo's courage and conviction are an embodiment of what it means to be a responsible American citizen. She fought not just for herself but also for the rights of all citizens, proving that one person can indeed make a difference. In recognition of her significant contribution to civil liberties during one of the United States' darkest hours, we request that President Biden posthumously award Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Her story is not just part of our history; it is also part of our present struggle against injustice and discrimination. By honoring Endo, we honor all those who have bravely stood up against injustice at great personal cost and, as she put it, for “the good of everybody.”

Join us in this call to recognize Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi's bravery and dedication to justice by signing this petition today!

(Photo courtesy National Archives and Records Administration)