Is Google's latest Doodle a jab at President Trump?

Google's Doodle adorning its search bar Monday was suspiciously timely:
While Monday did mark what would have been the 98th birthday of Fred Korematsu, a civil rights activist who fought Japanese Americans' internment during World War II, Google's homage to Korematsu also came just days after President Trump signed an executive order on immigration banning people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S.
Korematsu, the son of Japanese immigrants, refused to abide by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's executive order after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which Time explains "forced about 115,000 American citizens of Japanese descent to live in designated military zones." Korematsu teamed up with the ACLU and appealed the order in the Supreme Court case of Korematsu v. United States. Though the court ruled against him and he was sent to the Central Utah War Relocation Center, his activism was ultimately rewarded in 1998 when former President Bill Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Google didn't make it clear whether its Doodle on Monday was, as Business Insider's Steve Kobach put it, a "sub-doodle." However, the company has expressed concern over Trump's order. Google co-founder Sergey Brin sent an email to Google's staff late Friday, writing that it was "painful to see the personal cost of this executive order on our colleagues." The tech giant has also created a $2 million crisis fund in the wake of Trump's ban.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published