Live Long and Prosper

In an inspiring All-School Meeting (ASM), actor and civil rights activist George Takei spoke to the community about his childhood experience in Japanese-American incarceration camps during World War II and his subsequent journey becoming an advocate for social justice. His talk, moderated thoughtfully by Audrey N. ’26, offered students the chance to learn firsthand about this critical, yet often overlooked, chapter of history. While introducing Mr. Takei, Audrey shared her motivation for bringing this esteemed guest speaker to ASM: “Reading Mr. Takei’s graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy in 8th Grade helped me realize the importance of keeping the narratives of these individuals and families alive.”

Mr. Takei, now 87, vividly recalls the morning in May 1942 when, at just five years old, he watched armed soldiers march up his family’s Los Angeles driveway. “The terror of that morning, 82 years ago for me, I still remember vividly—the horror of that bayonet being pointed at my parents and my mother’s tears,” Mr. Takei shared. His family was forced to abandon their home and relocate, alongside hundreds of other Japanese-American Angelenos, to horse stalls at the Santa Anita racetrack. Families were forced to live in the stalls until barbed-wire prison camps were constructed across the country. Mr. Takei’s family was eventually moved to the swampy Camp Rohwer in Arkansas and later to Tule Lake in a desolate area of Northern California. 

Despite the harsh conditions and injustice of their imprisonment, Mr. Takei’s father helped him understand these events through the lens of democratic participation. He frequently quoted Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “Ours is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” His father explained that while these words represented democracy’s greatest strengths, they also revealed its vulnerability to human fallibility, especially in the face of terror and hysteria.

This lesson shaped Mr. Takei’s life path. Following his father’s guidance to participate actively in democracy, he became involved in student government, volunteered for political campaigns, and eventually found his voice as an actor and activist. He described his participation in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, including his role in a civil rights musical Fly Blackbird that made it to an off-Broadway production in New York. Mr. Takei’s acting career spans six decades, including his iconic role as Lieutenant Sulu in Star Trek, and he has consistently used his platform to advocate for social justice. His commitment to civic engagement has led to meaningful victories, including his work with Tom Bradley’s successful campaign, who would become Los Angeles’ longest-serving mayor. 

As he shared his personal story, Mr. Takei reminded students that democracy thrives on active participation. His message resonated strongly with students as they consider their role in the upcoming presidential election and as they think about more recent events. Mr. Takei drew parallels between the anti-Asian sentiment during World War II and the more recent incidents of anti-Asian discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a testament to his ongoing commitment to education and awareness, Mr. Takei reminded this next generation of leaders how important it is to remember this crucial part of American history and its enduring lessons about democracy, justice, and civil rights. He left students with a timeless reminder, inspired by his days on Star Trek: “Live long and prosper!”