As reported last week, the Portland Taiko (CD
The show, which honors Japanese American heritage has got me thinking about that very subject (more so that usual) a bit lately, and the marriage of George Takei this weekend brought it home.
For many people out there, George Takei
But for me, this event means much more on a cultural level — and not just because the ceremony, held at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles (Takei is one of the founders) was a festival of multi-culti love with a Buddhist priest, Native American wedding bands, a Koto harp and bagpipes.
You see, in 1942, George Takei was a 5-year old whose family was removed from their home and sent to the Rohwer War Relocation Center for internment in Arkansas. The family was later “transferred” to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center* in California. By coincidence, this was the same “center” my grandmother and her family were interned in.
Takei represents one of a generation of Nissei who grew up in the relocation camps who not only vowed to never forget the injustice but also rose above it to become a prominent member of society. In fact, in the ’60s Takei represented (as much as anyone) “the face” of Japanese America, portraying a dashing character on a TV-show that wasn’t simply an Asian stereotype, but was a fully actualized character that just also happened to be Asian.
I believe it is for this reason my grandfather became hooked on Star Trek. It’s something I don’t expect a lot of Anglo people to understand, but there is something fundamentally wrong about turning on the TV and not seeing anyone who looks or talks like you do on a racial level. No one. At best, you can get a stereotype “building a railroad” or “working at the convenience store” but thats it (not to mention in the 1960’s most Asian roles were played on TV and film by whites in yellow-face).
So for my grandfather, when he discovered Sulu and Star Trek, he became an instant fan. (It didn’t hurt that Star Trek explored a lot of other themes besides race and was written by some of the finest minds in fiction.) One of my fondest memories as a kid is watching Star Trek with my grandfather and it’s his love of Star Trek and sci-fi that was passed on to me and influences my writing (and thinking) daily.
In fact, it’s fair to say that I wouldn’t be a Star Trek fan if it weren’t for George Takei, and it’s also possible that I wouldn’t be a sci-fi fan (as big of one) either, so who knows what kind of writer I’d be if it weren’t for him.
So congratulations to George Takei, not just on your wedding, but for rising from the shadows of a dark period in Japanese American history and becoming an influential factor in the lives of people, not just Asian or gay, but everyone from all colors and creeds. You’ve truly shown entire generations of us how to “reach for the stars,” and you are appreciated more than this meager blog post will even convey.
This is what being “In the Footsteps of My Ancestors” is all about, and it’s what’s been on my mind as I prepare to go to the opening performance of the Portland Taiko show tomorrow with my sister.
* Special note: The photo of Tule Lake Relocation Center was taken by my grandmother in 1948. She was 26 or 27. It is one of only two photos I have up on the white board in my writing room.
October 25th, 2008 at 7:49 am
Well said.
I don’t have anything significant to add, just wanted to give a big “heck, yes” to this blog entry.