Passing: Fred Korematsu and the Wartime Reconfiguration of Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery has long reflected and reshaped prevailing societal ideals of beauty, identity, and belonging. This historical review explores the lesser-known intersection of racial identity and reconstructive surgery through the life of Fred Korematsu, a Japanese American who resisted internment during World War II. Korematsu’s attempt to alter his appearance—reportedly through rhinoplasty and possibly a “double eyelid” procedure—to evade capture reveals the fraught ways plastic surgery was employed not just for healing but for survival. Set against the backdrop of Executive Order 9066 and the internment of over 100 000 Japanese Americans, this paper juxtaposes Korematsu’s story with wartime advancements in plastic surgery that served injured Allied soldiers and covert operatives in Europe. Surgeons like Harold Gillies and Archibald McIndoe advanced techniques to restore identity and dignity to disfigured soldiers, while others modified facial features to facilitate espionage or assimilation. The paper critically examines how reconstructive surgery became both a tool of liberation and a reflection of beauty standards. It also traces the use of surgical assimilation beyond WWII, including in postwar Asia and during eras of segregation and colonialism. By framing Korematsu’s experience within this broader historical and ethical context, the review interrogates how surgical practices, even when evidence-based, are vulnerable to sociopolitical pressures. Ultimately, it challenges modern plastic surgery to move beyond aesthetic norms rooted in assimilation, advocating instead for identity-preserving, patient-centered approaches.