Here is the official announcement of this event:
"Boldly Going," actor George Takei - Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. - With a career spanning five decades, Takei is known around the world for his role in the acclaimed television series Star Trek, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise. Takei, a Japanese American who lived in two U.S. internment camps, including one in Rohwer, Arkansas during World War II, is a community activist and outspoken supporter of human rights. Takei’s participation is in partnership with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Takei will perform with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra's performance of Ode to Joy on February 25 and 26. For more information, go to http://www.arkansassymphony.org/
To see a history of the Rohwer Relocation Center, click on:
http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=369
Here's the site of the Clinton School of Public Service:
http://www.clintonschool.uasys.edu/
Here are a couple of photos of Takei at this event and some pictures I took of the Rohwer Relocation Center in November of 2008.
The line waiting for the 6 p.m lecture was already long at 5:30 p.m. outside the Exhibition Hall of Robinson Center.
Mr. Takei, who was 5 years old when he and his family were at the Rohwer Center in 1942, was a great, inspirational speaker with a good sense of humor. For those who don't know, he has thousands of followers on Facebook and shares many humorous tidbits as well as serious human rights stories, on his Facebook page.
The Clinton School of Public Service is housed in the old Rock Island/Choctaw Route Railroad Station in Little Rock, still at its original location. That's the building you see in the seal to the right of Takei.
George Takei's talk was all about his experiences in the Relocation Camp at Rohwer and a camp in northern California. He talked about how his experience as a 5 year old was different from what was experienced by his parents. His was sometimes fun and play while it was harsh for adults. It was all a matter of age and perspective. He and his family stayed one year at Rohwer then was moved to a camp in northern California. He said the camp in California was at a race track and they were housed in horse stables. While his parents were appalled, he said he enjoyed camping out in the hay with the ponies and smelling the hay. Again, his experience was from a 5 year old's perspective while the adults had a worse experience.
When the Japanese families were released from the 10 camps, they went to their respective homes across the country, mainly in California. Takei said they went back to Los Angeles and were placed in a 'skid row' setting, with the smell of urine and filth all around. He said the camp at Rohwer was a much better place than that. But eventually his father got a job and they moved into a 3-bedroom house and became successful.
He also talked about human rights and that there are still discriminations of some kinds going on in this country, but that things are getting slowly better. He mentioned discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as one area that needs improvement. (This is from my recollection of the lecture and I'm sure I've missed some points of his talk, so if anyone else who attended has any more things to add, email me at thundertrain@gmail.com. Thanks. - Ken Z)
After the talk, Mr. Takei took questions from the audience. To the right is Skip Rutherford, dean of the Clinton School of Public Service.
Here is the Rohwer Relocation Center as of November 2008. This whole area in 1942 had dormitories surrounded by barbed wire fences and guard towers. Today it sits in the middle of a cotton field. Rohwer is located in the Delta region of southeast Arkansas, about 2 1/2 hours southeast of Little Rock. The trees and a cemetery under the trees, plus a large brick chimney, is all that's left of th camp.
It's very peaceful out here in the middle of a rural area. It's hard to imagine how it was in 1942.
The 442nd, one of the most decorated infantry units in World War II, made up of Japanese Americans.
Erected by the inhabitants of Rohwer Relocation Center October 1944.
This large brick chimney still stands. I think the housing used in the center was around here.
