George Takei on his life as a Japanese-American and the importance of standing up for equality for all
George Takei says he believes humans must live their lives and control their own destiny.
“My grandparents came to this country with hope and optimism—ideas of building a new life in a new country,” Takei proudly explained.
The Japanese-American actor, author and activist, best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, in the television series “Star Trek,” recently had a one-on-one conversation with “Closer Look” show host Rose Scott for his second radio interview on the program.
During the interview, Takei told Scott that he was five years old when his family was wrongfully imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.
“We happened to look just like the people who bombed Pearl Harbor and I lived through a period of American history that has a profoundly important lesson: racism can rise, it can raise its ugly head when people are terrorized,” he said.
He further reflected on his experience in participating in the civil rights movement, meeting Martin Luther King Jr. and explained how Americans are still fighting against racism and pushing equality for all.
“Today, I’ve been advocating for amongst Asian-Americans that we must become allies in the African American movement to get an apology and redress for the centuries of slavery, Jim Crow and the civil rights movement,” said Takei who is also known as an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Takei’s professional career spans across several decades, but due to two separate ongoing strikes involving writers and actors in Hollywood, he was limited in what he could share about his two upcoming books. “I think you do what you can do while you can, and that’s it,” he said.
He concluded the conversation with advice for the next generation, “Be free enough to be yourself and follow your passions.”
Takei will be appearing at Dragon Con this weekend in Atlanta.
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