Star Trek Actor Shares Experiences During the Internment of Japanese Americans in WWII
Imagine being 5 years old, hearing banging on the front door, and peering out to see soldiers with bayonets outside. Now imagine when your father opens the door, a soldier points a bayonet at him, and says you all must leave your home. This was the reality in the United States for more than 120,000 Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast in the months following the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan Dec. 7,1941.
Among the displaced were renowned actor and social justice advocate George Takei and his family. Takei talked about his family’s ordeal after being labeled “enemy aliens” and deported to internment camps at the Farmingdale State College (FSC) inaugural Day of Service April 20.
The visit was not all serious. When he first arrived on campus, Dean of Students Frank Rampello called him a legend. Takei said “Legends, as we all know, are dead,” he joked. “I am very much alive.”
Takei, best known for his role as Sulu in the original “Star Trek” series, shared the moving story of his life as a Japanese-American following the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Takei’s family was among more than 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent in California who had their property and bank accounts seized and were forced into internment camps where he spent nearly four years.
“We were terrified,” Takei said. “My mother came last, tears streaming down her face, holding my baby sister. That morning’s fear is seared in my memory. I never forgot that fear.”
Takei’s family spent almost four years in camps. At the end of the war, each family was given $25 and a one-way ticket to the destination of their choice. This resulted in Japanese-Americans spread all over the U.S., Takei said.
The family returned to Los Angeles, but were not welcomed, he said. “My teacher called me Jap Boy and never called on me,” Takei recalled, adding he still remembered the teacher’s name. With no home and no business, it took the Takei’s five years to re-establish themselves in the community.
Takei found some peace in his father’s perspective that even the best in their class have flaws.
“My father talked about how the U.S. had the best ideals in the world,” he said. His father frequently quoted President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, in which the slain president referred to the U.S. as a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” He told his son citizens have a responsibility to ensure those precious ideals are upheld, ideas that Takei internalized.
While Takei went on to a successful acting career that lasted more than six decades and broke many barriers, he also never forgot how easy it is for injustices to occur if others remain silent.
One of his greatest triumphs was participating in campaigns to get Congress to acknowledge the error of interning Japanese-Americans, apologize, and provide reparations. That finally occurred in 1988 and survivors each received $20,000.
“It had seemed like an awesome mountain to climb,” Takei said. Sadly, his father did not live to see the agreement but had faith in American democracy. “My mother said, ‘Daddy always knew this day would come.’”
In an effort to preserve and share the internment experience, in 2008 Takei began working with writers on an original musical “Allegiance” about a family’s experience during the internment and the repercussions years afterward. He also appears in the play, which ran on Broadway and recently wrapped up a run in London. His hope is that the play moves audiences, and he would like to see it performed throughout the country, including on college campuses and at high schools.
Takei also was a trail-blazer in the entertainment industry, landing a role on the diverse bridge of the starship Enterprise on “Star Trek,” at a time when few parts were open to Asian-Americans. He called the show’s producer Gene Roddenberry “an extraordinary man,” who was convinced TV was a good medium to comment on the turbulence in the country in the 1960s.
From the 1960s and on he participated in civil rights marches, demonstrations, electoral politics, and demonstrations for LGBTQ+ rights and marriage. Takei is one of the nation’s most visible advocates for marriage equality and gay rights. When California approved marriage equality in 2008, he and his husband, Brad, were among the first same-sex couples to be married.
Through his social media presence and in person, Takei also advocates for gay rights and social justice, with statements often punctuated with his catch phrase “Oh, Myyyyyyy!”
The audience also serenaded Takei with a spirited rendition of “Happy Birthday,” who turned 86 on the day of his visit.
Vilas Hariprashad, ’23, said “I’d heard about (the internments) before, but this is the first time I heard what it actually was like. It was eye-opening. This brings awareness and it’s important for people to hear more about it.”
Students were left to reflect on the day’s message of service and resilience. “It was all very interesting to hear, very moving,” said Joshua Handley ’23 of Takei’s presentation. “It struck me the way he was able to remember things in detail, probably because of how impactful the experience was.”
Enjoy photos from Takei's talk.
