George Takei (Sulu)- Remembering Internment Camps

Long before he was Mr. Sulu on Star Trek, actor George Takei had to face a harsh reality. At the age of 5, Takei was one of more than 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent who were ordered into internment camps during World War II. Takei,who was born in Los Angeles, spent three years in the camps.

“It is a day that all Americans should know about,” he said. “Alas, I’m astounded by the number of people — particularly east of the Rockies — who say to me, aghast, ‘I had no idea such a thing had happened in the United States.’ ”

Takei is working with the Japanese American National Museum to bring awareness of this event to the general public who, sadly, don't have a clue.

Today is the 70th anniversary of executive order 9066, which created the camps. I think this publicity will help bring much needed attention to the possibility that this may very well happen again. Except this time it will be political dissenters or whomever "they" want out of the way.


Ancestry.com

Another HUGELY successful thread by yours truly.
lmao

Seriously though... I had no idea he was born in the states or even this old.

reply to post by Neysa


I had only to see the name "George Takei" in the title to be drawn inevitably to this thread.

Wonderful job.

It is the latent Star Trek geek in me, I suppose.....

reply to post by Neysa


On second gander......let's focus on this part of your OP:

Today is the 70th anniversary of executive order 9066, which created the camps. I think this publicity will help bring much needed attention to the possibility that this may very well happen again.

Could you elaborate?

"What" may well happen again?

More Japanese-Americans rounded up into internment camps?

Or, what other ethno-specific groups do you imagine will be included?

reply to post by elevatedone

Seriously though... I had no idea he was born in the states or even this old.

You're joking.....right??

Oh, come on.....well, I will refrain from any obvious jokes at this point....but, any Star Trek fan worth his or her weight in gold would know all the Bios of the original cast......Mr. Takei (It's "Ta-KAY"...not "Ta-KI") ( LOL ....comes from the rather bawdy "Roast" of William Shatner.....link below....Oops, cant find it....was on Comedy Central....)

Mr. Takei was also featured in a story arc of the NBC series "Heroes", some years back.

Oh and....George and Bill (Shatner):




[**]

Not the "Roast"...but another:




Hunt for the Comedy Central "Roast" of William Shatner...it's hilarious!!

reply to post by ProudBird

I have always been a huge fan of his. Sulu was my favorite of the Star Trek characters. Sexiest voice ever!


In answer to your question, I don't think that it would be about race this time. I think that any group that the U S government sees as a threat could be next.
Probably not the Japanese. lol
But perhaps Iranian Americans or Muslims? I know they fear the Ron Paul supporters.
Dunno
President Obama Signs Indefinite Detention Bill Into Law

I just think that the more people who are aware of this part of our past the less likely we are to let it happen again. At least I would hope so. Many people on ATS believe that the U S is preparing modern day internment camps. Who do you think the might be for, if they exist?

If you have not been to his website George Takei
His wedding vows are beautiful. Check them out.

reply to post by ProudBird


No, not kidding, I didn't know that much about him.

Not a "huge" fan, but certainly liked him on ST.

reply to post by Neysa


Yes, I had a grasp of where you might have been referring:

In answer to your question, I don't think that it would be about race this time. I think that any group that the U S government sees as a threat could be next.
Probably not the Japanese. lol
But perhaps Iranian Americans or Muslims?

Oh yes.....a very valid thing to be concerned about....but, that very concern garners awareness, does it not? Especially in light of the knowledge of historical precedents. Such as that egregious internment scenario, during WW 2.

Keep in mind, please, that this is a different era, than in the early 1940s....in a hundred different ways.....

America has had it's fair share of atrocities committed by them too. Not just Germany or Russia or . This is one, the American-German camps are another. Use Google to find several good reads regarding it all.

Thanks for the thread OP.

reply to post by ProudBird

Keep in mind, please, that this is a different era, than in the early 1940s....in a hundred different ways.....

Does that mean that you don't think something similar could happen again? That we are somehow better than that now? When our political system is more corrupt than it has ever been and the populace is so far removed from the truth of things?

reply to post by Neysa


I only mean to imply that in 1941 (when Pearl Harbor happened)....and in the years that ensued (1942 - 1945)......

.....Well...isn't it obvious??

Back then, there was no "FaceBook". There was no Internet......there were no "SmartPhones"..... et cetera, et cetera, et cetera....

The mere fact of the existence of a "network" of connectability

Originally posted by ProudBird

Keep in mind, please, that this is a different era, than in the early 1940s....in a hundred different ways.....

Recently, the voters of, yes, California, the very state Mr. Takei lives in, passed Proposition 8, which was meant to prevent gay and lesbian couples from being able to enter into what the law defined as "marriage".

Side Note: As refered to above, so-called "Same-sex Marriages" were, briefly, allowed in California (Mr. Takei and his husband, in fact, were wedded during this brief period). Until the passage of Prop 8 ended the legal basis for such marriages.


Even more recently, the 9th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Proposition 8 violated the (State) constitutional rights of its GLBT citizens by essentially establishing them as a separately identified "group"
(ie.; gay, lesbian, etc) and, on the basis of the marginalization alone, denying them equal protection under the law; the rights and priviledles granted under law associated with "traditional marriage" and codified within the laws referencing "marriage" as a condition of application.


I do not want to bring into this thread yet another debate of the "Gay Marriage" issue.


I DO want to point out that, even in this day and age, even in as "liberal" as state as California, there are those who would, out of fear, politics, or religious agenda, seek to marginalize some "other" group as evil or (potentially) dangerous. And that basis, deny said group the very rights we all enjoy and depend upon.



It's curious, many Christians believe that during the End Times, Christians will be "rounded up and executed" by the Government under the Anti-christ.


They don't seem to realize that such an action would be done "under the cover of law" (or at least the appearance of such) for the sake of the "masses". And to construct that facade, we must be able to "single out" certain groups and "legally" deny them their constitutional rights.


Sauce for the (Gay, Japanese, Muslim, etc.) Goose, is also sauce for the (Christian) Gander!

reply to post by Bhadhidar


I'm with you (I think):

I DO want to point out that, even in this day and age, even in as "liberal" as state as California, there are those who would, out of fear, politics, or religious agenda, seek to marginalize some "other" group as evil or (potentially) dangerous. And that basis, deny said group the very rights we all enjoy and depend upon.

I currently LIVE in California....a State that I happened to be born to as well, but that is not relevant....I can, as a FREE adult, live anywhere I choose.....right now, I choose here, to be near my last living parent....it is MY choice.....

EDIT...I am a Gay man, and firmly in favor of full rights for all people....regardless of orientation....JUST wanted to make this clear.

NOW.....the TOPIC......was Internment Camps in WW 2. And especially, as it affected the Japanese-Americans the Nisei and Historical context

Man.....I tried.........I grew up in Los Angeles.....the area......I have to know this history, sorry if I cannot convey all of the facts properly.....sheesh.....

reply to post by Bhadhidar

Extremely well put.
It's intellegent posts like yours that make me wish I had completed my formal education. lol

I'm working on my informal one now. lol

reply to post by Neysa


Thank you for reminding us again that those who don't remember the past will repeat the same mistakes in the future.

Thanks for posting this.

It's an absolute shame that more people don't understand why or how or even when this happened.

This is, unfortunately, a result of our collective tendency to glaze over our own wrongs while emphasizing the wrongs of others.

US Internment Camps were a result of fear.

We US citizens are again becoming afraid.

US Internment Camps may very well become a new reality if the government is allowed to establish martial law on a national scale, wherein the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended.

Martial Law in the US

Article 1, Section 9 of the US Constitution - Suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus