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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
ICE agents take down Lady Justice | June 21 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include ICE, Donald Trump as a lion tamer, and ordering from the Bible
-
5 editorial cartoons about ICE raids
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on ICE raids, harvesting Big Macs for Donald Trump, and what to do when Stephen Miller shows up at the front door
-
Grilled radicchio with caper and anchovy sauce recipe
The Week Recommends Smoky twist on classic Italian flavours is perfect to grill, drizzle and devour
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores