But Warren, who had his eye on becoming California’s governor, said, ‘The Japanese are inscrutable so it is prudent to lock them up before they do anything.’ Before! He basically admitted they hadn’t done anything…but he later won the election for governor.” There were no reports of spying or sabotage. “The mayor of Los Angeles proclaimed, ‘Japanese can never be assimilated.’ Then California Attorney General Earl Warren, who later became a Supreme Court justice, went so far as to say Japanese Americans should be locked up. My father’s car was graffitied, the windows of Japanese storekeepers were broken and the madness of elected leaders helped inflame the hatred. “Japanese Americans were called spies, traitors and worse. The war with Japan was declared the next day. More than 2,400 people killed, 1,000 wounded, 20 Navy battle ships sunk, 300 aircraft destroyed.
“The Pearl Harbor attacks were devastating. “Following the horrible Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese Americans who had nothing to do with the attacks were imprisoned,” he said. Takei, his parents, his younger brother and his infant sister were sent to the Rohwer Japanese American Relocation Center in Arkansas after briefly staying in a horse stable at the Santa Anita Race Track. The more detailed knowledge they have, the more likely they are to avoid some of the mistakes and cruel decisions that have been made in the past.” “They will set the course for our country. “I look at young people as the voters of tomorrow,” he continued. As a teen, I loved comic books and noticed that some of the messages of the comics stayed with me. “I had written about my family’s experience in my autobiography but I decided to use this format to reach younger people. “Even with all that has been written about the internment camps, I still find people who aren’t aware of them,” he said. Takei said he chose to write “They Called Us Enemy” in a graphic memoir format to reach a younger audience who may not be aware that Japanese Americans were forced to live in camps during World War II. Moderated by Sean Walker, associate dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and art student Walter Pasion, Takei discussed why he chose a graphic memoir format for his latest book, his life in the Japanese internment camps after his family was sent there after the Pearl Harbor attack, and his work on social justice issues.
Takei’s New York Times bestselling graphic memoir, “They Called Us Enemy,” was Cal State Fullerton’s One Book, One CSUF program selection for the past year. As he strode on to the stage on Tuesday evening, George Takei, author, film star and social justice activist flashed the famous “Live Long and Prosper” hand signal from ‘Star Trek’ to the audience gathered to hear him speak at the Titan Student Union Pavilion.
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