Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order Episode 6: A Reckoning
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Dec 13, 2025 Peter Irons, a Harvard lawyer and author known for his work on historical injustices, teams up with Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga, a former incarceree and researcher. They dive into the archives, uncovering suppressed documents related to the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. Their discoveries lead to a legal crusade to overturn wrongful convictions, highlighting systemic racism in U.S. policies. As they push for accountability, they reflect on the importance of remembering history to prevent future injustices. Their efforts culminate in significant legal victories and calls for reparations.
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Archive Meeting Sparks Lifelong Partnership
- Peter Irons met Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga in the National Archives and they instantly partnered to investigate the wartime cases.
- Their collaboration led to uncovering misfiled Justice Department records that changed the course of the Korematsu, Hirabayashi, and Yasui cases.
Misfiled Records Exposed Government Concealment
- Peter Irons found DOJ files misfiled in a Commerce Department warehouse that included a memo warning suppression of evidence would 'approximate the suppression of evidence.'
- That discovery revealed the government had concealed intelligence contradicting its wartime justification for mass incarceration.
One Surviving Report Changes Everything
- Aiko located the one surviving copy of Carl Bendetson's report that the government had ordered burned and immediately alerted Peter Irons.
- That single surviving document became the pivotal evidence used to reopen and overturn convictions decades later.
