George Takei Was Sent to a Japanese-American Internment Camp at Age Five

[@JonBlondell]

Mr. Takei, I'm horrified at what your family had to go through. Thank you for making this film. God Bless You.

[@johanneshalberstadt3663]

Did you even *hear* what he said about even worse things happening to children *right now*? Do you only care about his celebrity? He is a grown man. It's in his past. He is alerting to what is happening to humans right now.

[@brain-dead8403]

In what universe do you think that George Takei might actually come close to reading your comment? Lol "Mr. Takei" lol

[@paulroman8396]

Don't listen to that^guy he has no idea what he's talking about

[@brain-dead8403]

@@paulroman8396 are you Mr. Takei?

[@carolynworthington8996]

Brain - Dead no need to be mean.

[@kbanghart]

I love how everyone was dead quiet in the audience. I assume they were like me, thinking, damn what if this happened to me.

[@brain-dead8403]

Or they were listening to someone else talk....

[@AliceOfWonders]

Tbh most white people would never be thinking that, not for more than a passing moment.

[@kbanghart]

@@brain-dead8403 who else would be talking?

[@Anjabel69]

@@kbanghart He means that the audience was just being quiet because they were respectfully listening to George speak, nothing more nothing less. But I disagree - I think the seriousness of the subject matter and George's emotional words silenced the audience.

[@jamesfletcher5906]

What? imagine if you had to sleep in a horse stable, compared to a lot of other peoples experience of the 40s, this really isn't that bad

[@S.Parrow]

History doesn't exactly repeat itself, but it sure does Rhyme with the past.

[@hughm8969]

People without the linguistic capacity for rhyming tend to resort to repetition

[@beberivera7011]

Clever, clever😏

[@bill2066]

"Rhyme with the past"...Wow, you're so Poetic! Barf...

[@sachinaraszkiewicz785]

Jesus Christ, that memory... I'm Polish and have heard similar ones from my grandparents' generation. And Americans are doing this again.

[@martymethuselah]

thank god for the UN conventions of Human rights ..hehe....the war time lawyers had to apply it to all non Jews after the war (as the whole purpose to go to war was to save Jews using Poland as the excuse) After all the effort to free Jews from German human rights abuse camps...they then had to apply this new laws on all fronts... American Concentration Camps are a hidden tradition....He is actually lucky..if he was First nation..he would have been shot outright like any Original culture on North America....USA army was thinking of shooting all the Japanese internees while it was bombing Japan actually...they were to be exterminated as a race under war time conditions....

[@cindyshilanskis8503]

Please don't blame us all. Most of us are horrified too.

[@carlosmeza4478]

@@cindyshilanskis8503 we don't blame you for that Cindy. everyone knows there are good people in the US. but we are baffled on why would you still let it happen. this is not a normal situation, and it's not a normal presidency. so you how can you let this faked tan conman still carry out atrocities and drive your country to ground? that's what the rest of the world can't comprehend.

[@suchanhachan]

@@martymethuselah "USA army was thinking of shooting all the Japanese internees while it was bombing Japan actually...they were to be exterminated as a race under war time conditions...." You know, you really shouldn't repeat such silly bullshit. At no time was there ever any official government or military consideration of executing internees, most of whom were US citizens. Of course there were probably extremely paranoid, racist, mentally unstable individuals who might have supported such actions, but they kept these thoughts to themselves and probably only expressed them when they were drunk with like-minded idiots...

[@carlosmeza4478]

​@@martymethuselah calm down. you are going to pop a vein. besides instead of wasting time pointing fingers for things that happened when we were not even alive. we need to focus on the things that are happening on our lifetime. in this case the kids in cages. (one thing at a time buddy). but I will say this to the citizens of the USA. remember that in WW2 there were Germans that let atrocities to be committed. they didn't do those. but all were measured with the same stick as a nation. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” food for thought.

[@penelopenem]

George Takei is such an eloquent speaker. He paints a picture and expresses emotion in a way I wish I could!

[@kalevala29]

forced to leave your home carrying your infant and for no good reason. really sad, no wonder his mother was in tears

[@brain-dead8403]

Ohhhh thats why she was crying. Thanks for clearing that up.

[@kalevala29]

well, I am glad I cleared it up for you, sarcastic jackass

[@melissasaint3283]

Being unexpectedly displaced for ANY reason when you have a young infant is anxiety-provoking for most people, because your whole being is still in nesting mode, urging you to maintain a secure, clean, safe nest-- plus you are often exhausted and likely sleep deprived. I remember how upsetting it was to suddenly have to pack bags and evacuate to a hotel for several days with my newborn twins... the people in the next apartment decided to have all their floors refinished and professionally polyurethane coated, which would create strong fumes unsafe for kids, and they only gave us three hours notice! I *cannot imagine* having a baby and two small kids, and suddenly being categorized as a dangerous foreigner amd marched off in front of the neighborhood, at gunpoint, and made to sleep in a horse stall. With a *BABY* At gunpoint, to a horse stall with *A BABY* That is *incomprehensible*

[@helenpatterson3858]

@@melissasaint3283 At least they didn't separate the baby and children from their families....

[@melissasaint3283]

@@helenpatterson3858 tragically, agree 100%

[@matsujonen]

The reason I believe for star treks continued popularity is because it shows what humans can and should do.

[@ithemba]

There is a very popular saying by both, Slavoj Zizek and Mark Fisher, about how we, living under late capitalism, can far more easily imagine the end of the world, with one of the numerous apocalyptic scenarios we all know from movies and shows, than the end of capitalism, of scarcity and so on. For me Star Trek always was exactly this: the last greatest piece of post-scarcity Sci-Fi, where people cooperate with each other for different reasons and organize around different principles than profit. Not ideological, not like a big anti-capitalist revolution, but they somewhat have just outgrown a lot of that.

It was a meritocracy and there was no money or poverty (on Earth). I love Star Trek so much, but human nature doesn’t all it to ever be anything but a fantasy. ☹️

[@AmbyJeans]

Mrs. Arthur Morgan Even in Star Trek their society wasn't perfect. I don't think it's an impossible goal to reach. Maybe someday people will realize there is and should be more to life than money which is really just an invention of the human mind. It doesn't actually exist, life can and does happen without money.

[@kbanghart]

@@AmbyJeans it would be very interesting. However, too many people would scream about it being socialism or communism.

[@tommyt1971]

It was an allegory for multiculturalism when nobody wanted to tackle the subject outside of Fred Rogers.

[@tommyt1971]

Amazing that this guy is 82 & seems to be decades younger.

[@davedennison7386]

Radiation off the warp drive??

[@The_Green_Queen]

Gay don’t crack 🤷‍♀️

[@BaldursPicketFence]

Asians don’t crack

[@Anjabel69]

Asians don't raisin

[@noelmay9]

So glad Mr Takei is telling his firsthand account. This needs to be told, and heard, over and over until we stop caging immigrants now. And reparations need to be made for all who experienced this.

[@Edu_Kate]

Actually, it was president Regan who signed the bill that gave around $20,000 to each Japanese-American affected by the internment camps. Doesn't seem enough by today's economy. www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/08/09/210138278/japanese-internment-redress

[@pricklypear7516]

I'm very confused. I'm reading all these comments, and virtually no one is recognizing what "illegal" means. I'm replying to yours because it is, perhaps, the most egregious example of this and the most insulting to Mr. Takei and his family. They were NOT immigrants! These were American citizens! Your assumption that, because they were of Japanese descent, the parents must have been immigrants rather than naturalized citizens or second (third? fourth?) generation Americans means that you've missed the whole point of the atrocity. To cast Mr. Takei and his family in the same category as people crossing a border illegally is doing them a terrible disservice.

[@noelmay9]

@@pricklypear7516 Confused by your comment myself.

[@Edu_Kate]

@@pricklypear7516 I can see you're confused. The original poster didn't say the Takei family were immigrants. Read it again. George was the one who compared his situation to current caging of children.

[@marciocoelho2481]

He did a nice Ted Talk on the subject a while ago.

[@MatSpeedle]

What a great human being this man is! Love him! Looking forward to seeing this film, shame to see America still hasnt learnt from these lesson already... just keep going round in circles...

[@Loccyster]

*excluding his sex scandal.

[@MatSpeedle]

@@Loccyster Nobody's perfect :)

[@AmbyJeans]

Loccyster Who doesn't have a sex scandal nowadays

[@johanneshalberstadt3663]

If you are U.S. citizen, please get active about it. Do something. Anything. Google support groups, organizations that oppose what's going on. Make a signature list. Donate money. Volunteer. Write to your officials, congress reps, whatever. Make use of your power as a citizen of what is left of a democratic system. You are part of that America! I am European, so there's not much I can do but watch. Things like this exist because evil people do them, yes. But also because too many people passively let them happen!

[@JamesLacher]

George Takei is an American TREASURE. I'm so grateful for all he's done for this country. And I'm proud to be a fellow Japanese-American.

[@satomiiizuka2288]

James Lacher Me too.

[@megshimatsu8615]

You don't look Japanese at all.

[@MA-gn5nl]

Same here

[@MA-gn5nl]

@@megshimatsu8615 you can be half-Japanese or part-Japanese and still be Japanese-American. There’s lots of mixed Japanese-Americans where I live

[@johndough5192]

American treasure? He’s about as fkin crazy in the head as your ridiculous comment

[@melstark3466]

I’ve always admired this man for his tenacity and humor. I’m so glad he still with us and his voice is still out there speaking candidly.

[@hoozle]

I'd known Mr Takei had been interned in these camps as a child but I had never heard the story of the experience in his own words. Thanks for this.

[@andyperrott4284]

I saw him at Steel City Con and he was engaging with all of his fans. Greatly appreciated meeting him in person. But for someone to have gone through this and have the energy and presence of George Takei is nothing short of amazing.

[@soslothful]

It is quiet amazing Mr. Takei can discuss this seemingly with no bitterness. He presents the same theme in a longer TED Talk which everyone should watch.

[@third_will]

Such an iconic voice

[@latoyajoslyn8116]

We as Americans tend to forget that many other suffered during WWII. Not just those in Europe. Thank you George.

[@Edu_Kate]

German-Americans too.

[@shermagustave837]

I watched a story about the chinese who helped americans fight the ww1 but when japan invaded china they did nothing.

[@properuser]

@@Edu_Kate no they didn't suffer at all. there was never that much hate for Germans and Italians because they were white.

[@properuser]

@@Edu_Kate Not to mention that a lot of German American left USA to fight for nazi Germany here is the source www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/german-americans-fight-wwii.html

[@KP-qw7uz]

In the other clip from this interview, Mr. Takei implores us to STOP calling them Japanese Internment Camps. One way you could respect this man would be to update the caption for this video, and begin acting on his correct assertion that they were American Concentration Camps for Japanese-Americans.

[@luhole]

Respect/Walk Your speech has a powerful impact on the way you relate to a situation, but it also has an impact on others. If your parents had, for example, been put in a concentration camp and history referred to it as an internment camp, it is making light of the immense fear and suffering they had to endure. It is a mark of understanding and respect to reflect how the people who experienced this situation relate to it and helps people to heal.

[@andyme3541]

@Respect/Walk Our thoughts or beliefs are shaped by the words we use, by calling them 'Japanese internment camps' you hide on a subconscious level that these where Concentration Camps built by Americans to hold other Americans, by calling them Concentration Camps you force Americans to face their guilt over this issue. I know facing guilt is hard but it has to be done. Word choice is important, it shapes perception if the right is too scared of facing the truth well...

[@andyme3541]

@Respect/Walk No it's Marriage Equality, because it's applying the same rights to marry the person you love to all adults equally. nice attempt at slipping in Homophobia there

[@tjjames9846]

Respect/walk So because the Dems went with Hillary instead of Bernie, u voted for Trump, who is the complete opposite of Bernie. That has to be the most fucked up logic I have ever heard! He’s about to finish up Year 3 of his first (and hopefully only) term in office. How have u been enjoying his ridiculous reign thus far?

[@Anjabel69]

@Respect/Walk What a dumb argument. Would you also call the Civil Rights Movement the "Black Rights Movement"? No, because the movement is meant to apply to all people's civil rights. In the same way, marriage equality is meant to apply to all people's marriages.

[@nadinadi8385]

The eeriest thing is that history is repeating itself with a different minority.

[@AmbyJeans]

The only difference is that there's no war this time to "justify" it

[@fuzzybits410]

@@DBZFan2 "They" are human.

[@donjosemiguelmaese2348]

@@DBZFan2 And just who in the hell invited your ancestors here? Sure in the hell wasn't mine

[@fuzzybits410]

@@DBZFan2 "Worthless children." How very Christian of you.

[@fuzzybits410]

@@DBZFan2 You're, like, 12 aren't you. Stop watching anime. Grow up, child.

[@gmt5664]

My dad was interned in Poston when he was 7. He was the oldest of 4 siblings. Thank you

[@randomrebecka6778]

Thank you so much George takei for sharing your experience. A lot of people forget about the internment camps we had here in the US. I didn't learn about them until I was in college. I studied Holocaust history and I'm still astonished by what our country did. I'm so sorry you and your family had to go through that and I hope that sharing your experience can help so that it never happens again. If we don't learn from history it's bound to repeat itself so I hope people learn.

[@twstf8905]

This EXACT same experience is being had as we speak by any black or brown children who's parents have dared risk taking them out of their home countries to seek a better life through the southern border.

[@DanielBrownsan]

Can we not call them "black" and/or "brown" children? How about just "children"?

[@twstf8905]

Well, I would, "@@DanielBrownsan" If the same sentiment applied to Scandinavian, or Slavic, or any OTHER White Europeans seeking asylum. But, luckily for them I guess, it DOESN'T. ICE isn't separating migrant families in airports, or at the northern border, and keeping their kids in caged squalor. Scarring them for LIFE. Unfortunately, I have to highlight the fact that the black and brown people are the ones being targeted, because they ARE. Because it's not just, "children," with which this administration has a problem. Or, just ANY group of immigrants. So, as much as you'd like to ignore that fact, it would be irresponsible for everyone else NOT to.

[@TheMagicJIZZ]

@@twstf8905 you aren't entitled to live next White people. It's not a human right to seek better lived by speaking White languages and political systems or economic ones.

[@Chris-tq1jy]

@@twstf8905 If it is so great living next to black and brown people, then why are those “black and brown” people fleeing their predominantly black and brown countries to live in a white nation?

[@kalifee]

I once went to a talk Mr. Takei gave about his experiences during this time in his life. It was a fascinating and heartbreaking story from an incredible man. I'm so glad he's still living long and prospering.

[@DiscoRaptor]

Always a pleasure to listen to George Takei...

[@bea4156]

This is so tragic and beautifully told, I started crying at work 😢 Can’t wait to see the project!

[@squamish4244]

I'm sorry to say we did the same thing in Canada. We interned 20,000 Japanese-Canadians (proportionately the same for our population as the United States), all families from British Columbia, in camps on the Prairies. It is a national humiliation to this day. Canada and the United States are very much alike, in both our good and bad qualities. We also have the same sad history regarding our treatment of Chinese-Canadians. They worked building the railroads through the Rockies at great personal risk and loss of life and then were banned from entering certain places where whites lived. One sign outside of a town read, "No Chinese or dogs allowed."

[@LazyIRanch]

I had no idea! Thank you for sharing true history. I have only in recent years learned of the thousands of innocent black men, women, and children who have been murdered by lynchings and having entire neighborhoods fire-bombed here during the 20th Century. I never learned any of this in school, and I'm disgusted by how our government has treated it's citizens.

[@squamish4244]

Well, one major difference between the USA and Canada is our treatment of blacks. Those lynchings and fire-bombings took place in the American South, especially the Deep South, mostly during the early Jim Crow era.

[@redcoat4ever323]

Their property was also seized or was sold at a fraction of value. So many white Canadians profited off the plight of Canadians of Japanese origin.

[@gloriannpeddicord9317]

such a great story teller...i felt like i was with him

[@brain-dead8403]

Your comment made me cringe.

[@gloriannpeddicord9317]

@@brain-dead8403 fantastic

[@gloriannpeddicord9317]

@@DanielBrownsan i am

[@brain-dead8403]

@@gloriannpeddicord9317 way to go idiot wrong person to respond to lol

[@Rome274]

I remember reading about him. He said when the memories of the horrors of what he and his family went through came back he broke down crying with so much pain and grief at how they were treated.

[@Rome274]

Mr Takei said in a magazine I read, he blotted a lot out but the memories came back and it hit him very hard.

[@ellewelle401]

God, the way he tells about that time, so detailed and still infused with emotion, conveys the full horror of that horrifying time in history. My first reaction to childhood trauma was to detach emotionally as fully as I was capable, to not give the memory power over my life. That he still does this educational work and still has such a vivid, joyful presence in the media, when by all rights he deserved his retirement to be peaceful and comfortable ten times over makes me want to hug him and thank him. Uncle George is truly a mensch.

[@a.r.m.ypapaya6927]

This is such a powerful story 😭 thank you for this interview

[@BrianMakesFilms]

I could listen to George Takei talk for hours about his life. So interesting and soothing at the same time.

[@marczwander893]

I absolutely love Terror Infamy, I consider it my absolute favorite show of all time now, and theres so much of what George's experience was in it. I can't thank him and anyone involved with this masterpiece enough. All the best to you!

[@mariamnaltaeva9275]

I didn't know about this part of his life. So glad that they had courage to bring up this incredibly heavy topic!

[@annali4138]

It’s terrible we don’t talk about this more

[@S.Parrow]

especially considering it's happening all over again at the southern border...

[@AmbyJeans]

Is this covered in schools in other states? Here in California we went into it in depth and then took a field trip to Angel Island where they sent internment prisoners to be processed in San Francisco. The island is pretty, but the facility is sad and terrifying. I just wasn't sure how much other schools covered it.

[@annali4138]

@@AmbyJeans At my school it was mentioned, but not in great detail. More like "this is something that happened, it was bad.. okay on to the next thing"

[@monyet1358]

My school was 5 minutes from a Japanese internment camp and our graduation was held there... I constantly talked about how horrific it is but nobody listened including my history teacher who said it was safer in the camps than outside of them as if that justifies the situation

[@carolynworthington8996]

Anna Li we’re talking about it here!

[@lutascheier]

What a sad and powerful story. Thanks for sharing. I am sorry for everyone who ever had and will have to endure this. And many don't make it out alive.

[@MG-jj3pn]

A very sad and tragic chapter of American history.

[@feebeedoc78]

Ongoing chapter.

[@chrissiek8706]

Entire bookshelf by now...

[@noneya1238]

The whole history is.

[@AI_Image_Master]

When doing interviews he likes to play it over the top. That's how he starts out here. Then when he talks about the camps you can hear his voice change and become very serious. You can just feel the realism from his voice and how he describes things.

[@Dan-Simms]

Just think, there is a whole new generation facing this now. America should be ashamed. So glad to be Canadian.

[@ladianamc]

Well, Canada treats indigenous nations terribly... And that goes on today as well. Not saying you shouldn't criticize the US for these history of abuse and tragedy.

[@Dan-Simms]

@@ladianamc oh I know, I am one

[@RacquetRob]

Just in case this wasn't intended as sarcasm: www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/japanese-internment-banished-and-beyond-tears-feature

It’s wrong, yes, but Canada has racists (including Trump supporters) and treats indigenous people TERRIBLY. Canada’s hands aren’t clean either.

[@canadianperspective3731]

Mrs. Arthur Morgan Do you have any idea how much money Ottawa shells out for a family of four, on the reserve? In the early 90’s it was over $70k a year ( I don’t have today’s numbers on hand). The problem lies in once the money hits the reserve. It doesn’t go to the family of four, it goes to the Chief. HE decides who gets what money, if any. So yeah, you can point fingers at our government, but the corruption and mistreatment is at the reserve level.

[@NewMessage]

And here we go again... only this time, there's no war to use as justification. We just don't learn.

[@sammygirl6910]

George is a national treasure.

[@cagedtigersteve]

Still happening today.

[@charlesku4308]

live up the street from Santa Anita Race Track - the area used to be caucasian, it is now almost exclusively Asian and Mexican. the racists that made up the "greatest generation" lost their xenophobic stance in a fantastic way and it shows in our diversity here. they call it the Chinese Beverly Hills (Arcadia, CA). the best revenge is living successfully.

[@The_Green_Queen]

He’s the Asian grandmother I never had. I love him so much.

[@TimeTheory2099]

Greed and hate are humanity's greatest and most common mental illness.

[@mech5]

A piece of American history that deserves to be remembered.

[@globalwarmhugs7741]

It happened in Canada, as well. I recommend a beautiful novel by Joy Kogawa, called Obasan.

[@aznsugarg]

Thank you, Mr. Takei, for sharing your experience.

[@irisn.garcia5883]

I am 62yrs old, I never though I would witness thees times.

[@Winteramen]

One day, a child held in those border camps will find success, and one day that child will be on a public forum speaking about the experience the same way Mr. Takei spoke about his. On that day, those who participated in the confinement of these children, those who was just "doing their job" will be looked at in the same sad light those soldiers with them bayonets looks like to me. Just men "doing their jobs."

[@rosehill9537]

He's an absolute joy and a treasure. Meeting him was a dream come true. What he went through in internment was horrible.

[@dons6006]

It is also worth remembering that with the alien land act Japanese were not allowed to buy property in California. Something that was only finally overturned in 1952

[@PaolaBarrientos]

I volunteered in the photo ops area at a con and he was by far the most joyous guest the day. He did greeted fans like that🖖. He gave volunteers that worked his session a free photo op. If you like his work and get the chance to meet him you will not get it. 😉

[@7CzofRhye]

Thank you so much George to share your story. And thank you for this program to invite him.

[@clintmack3286]

George's Graphic Novel, "They called us Enemy" is fantastic.

[@bmoney2011]

I'd invoke the rallying cry "Never again"...but it's literally already happened again...and no one of any authority seems to care at all.

[@saynasayyadi8582]

He still remembers every single horrific traumatizing detail till to this day and he was with his parents. So he kinda had a emotional support during those tough times. Just imagine what a devastating burden those little kids at detention camps must endure for the rest of their lives and they have no one there ! This nonsense must be stopped!!!

[@markplain2555]

The term "Concentration Camp" was first coined by the British to describe their own "Concentration Camps" to 'concentrate' the civilians in the Anglo Boer War of 1900/1901. In these camps run by the British over 50,000 people starved to death. . When the Nazis applied a similar civilian "Concentration Camp" that resulted in an unbelievable horror. The British (and the West) decided to review their history and rename any 'concentration camp' to 'internment camp' to disassociate their respective history's. . If we were to call the current camps where migrants are held, "concentration camps" politicians would throw their toys in anger. Which shows you the power of a label and association.

[@HuSanNiang]

The Anglo Boer War was always overlooked how cruel it was . Earlier you had the Andersonville/Camp Sumte, build in 1864 during the American Civil war or the Shark Island Concentration Camp by Germans in Namibia.

[@markplain2555]

@@HuSanNiang I knew nothing of Shark Island. Thank you.

[@smartaclesllama8677]

As a high schooler, I still have basically no idea what the Japanese concentration camps were like, and can I just say the way he tells his story is so amazing

[@Edu_Kate]

The 1988 Civil Liberties Act was supposed to earmark a portion of the reparations money for education. Republicans, not in favor of more spending, said no. President Clinton set aside $5 million for education.

[@diligentone-six2688]

Concentrations Camps are worse than Prisons in the Democratic Society. Forced labor 24/7. Especially torture.

[@ChipCain]

What a true gentleman. 👏🏻

[@eltravos99]

Is it raining directly on my face? This is why paying attention to policy is so important.

[@spacewitchvulcan]

I can't imagine what my life would be like without Star Trek. It thought me very important lessons in fairness, equality, moral's, ethic's and countless other thing's.

[@SkepticalChris]

I worked on Terror, as an extra for weeks. For the scenes that they filmed, of the prisoners being loaded into the buses to be taken to the camps, were filmed at Hastings Racecourse Park, in Vancouver BC. This racecourse, was actually also used, during WW2 as a rounding up place for Japanese Canadians. So quite literally, some of those scenes in Terror, were actually filmed in places that real Japanese were wrongfully imprisoned. I also spent many days at the camp exterior set that George Takei describes and from what I saw of photos it really was almost the real deal. The interiors were on a studio, but the entire outside, with fences, and guard towers were all there, in South Surrey, BC.

[@GB-TX]

I could listen to him tell stories forever…

[@MrDimSumLee]

It's interesting. Here in Vancouver, they also sent them to the horse stalls at our amusement park (PNE) too.

[@Calmdowndude]

My grandma told me of the "Long Walk" that took Navajos to Fort Sumner. My grandma's family traveled by wagon from the Little Colorado River from Arizona to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. They were instructed not to help those who were walking on foot. As those who fell behind on foot, they were shot. Many were the elderly or recently orphaned children who's family resisted imprisonment. That was the truth about their experience with the US and it's military.

[@JudithLou]

We were never taught about the Japanese-American internment camps in my high school history classes in the early '70's. I wonder why that was? (Big Sarcasm)

[@anamariaguadayol2335]

I was, also during the 70s. I guess, it depended on who your teacher was. Mine was great. He was a former U.S. Marine and believed in teaching us the good and the bad. One so we could continue with it and the bad so we wouldn't repeat the mistake.

[@Edu_Kate]

Because it took President Clinton to set aside about $5 million for education. In 1988, when President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act the Democratic Congress approved, Republicans didn't want to spend any more than they had to. They gave each surviving Japanese-American internee about $20,000. That's about $40,000 in 2016 dollars. Doesn't seem enough.

[@jaredm3413]

They do in mine

[@spencerbissett3417]

Thanks to a friend, I have an autographed copy of "To The Stars." I point to it whenever my "oh, my" phone alert startles a student; I tell them who it's from and why he matters.

[@mamallama7708]

That is so sad to hear, i am so sorry Mr. Takei.

[@Mickiwalk]

Powerful testimony.

[@tommyt1971]

Nice little tribute to his friend Nimoy in there!

[@tommyt1971]

My favorite Sulu line: “So much for the little training cruise.”

[@melaniep4099]

I wish we learned more about this (the American internment camps) at school. It’s important to learn there things so the same mistakes aren’t done again.

[@peggyolson6511]

He is so great as a guest on the Stern show.

[@ashdobbs7492]

my grandparents had Japanese neighbors in the early 40's. when they were sent away for safekeeping they asked my grandparents to watch their house and possessions. after a couple of weeks they didn't come back so grandpa claimed their property. we still have many things that proudly we still have. there is a chest with cutlery and dishes and many tapestries and pearl inlaid mirror with comb and makeup kit among other things. my brother and I recently threw away the photo albums and other insignificant things but a lot of it is in good condition still. I was wondering how much it may be worth, may be more because of its historical value

[@r.c.whitaker296]

While George was talking,the audience was so silent 😔 the horrors our government has perpetrated are shameful.

[@IIIIthruXII]

What a story

[@pakkasan1]

Title was close... He said to call them American Concentration Camps for Japanese Americans. That is the accurate description.

[@thesmithersy]

It is right that with this, we don't have the interviewer interrupting constantly as many other American talk show hosts do. This was something poignant and needed to be heard.

[@hizzlemobizzle]

Could you imagine how much different his experience would have been had they separated him from his parents and placed them in different camps? I cannot imagine the psychological damage we are causing the children of the asylum seekers we are throwing in cages.

[@kirameter1]

Y la historia se repite, lo cual es inevitable mientras la ignorancia domine al mundo.

[@gwddmt1]

Yogi said it best, "It's like déjà vu all over again."

[@clutchyfinger]

My Grandmother, who is passed, was livong in Japan during the war, and 90%of her city was firebombed. So no matter if you were a Japanese person living in the US, or living at you home, you were being treated inhumanely by Americans. America was not innocent in that conflict the slightest.

[@wendyweaver8749]

Clutchyfinger - Firebombing in World War II occurred in both Japan and Germany (Dresden) by both the U.S. and Britain. It was a weapon of war against enemy countries, not just Japanese. There are those who assert that firebombing civilian population centers should be deemed to be a crime against humanity regardless of which country did it. Some of those against firebombing believe the atomic bombs dropped on Japan were justified; others do not. Some who believe firebombing is justified do not believe the use of atomic weapons against Japan can ever be justified; others believe both firebombing and the atomic bomb use were acceptable during World War II.

[@diligentone-six2688]

Both sides weren't innocent but the Allies knew what was at stake. But in the end, Innocent people died.

[@lydiabowman3945]

Thank you for sharing

[@G0DofRock]

Change the title to American Concentration Camps if you have any respect for what George said and how others feel!

[@ああ-u9m8w]

I love his English accent. Sounds like something

[@amileoj9043]

"From a two bedroom home on Garnet Street in LA to a horse stall." We Americans really need to remember and acknowledge that crimes as appalling as this (and, tragically, even far worse than this) have been perpetrated, time and again, under the color of law, precisely while most of the country was taking deep comfort in its own righteousness & innocence. George Takei exemplifies the wisdom James Baldwin distilled when he wrote: "I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

[@claringbud7525]

God bless you George.

[@caroleastmond9064]

It's crazy that was done to American families. Did he write a book about his experience, and what his parents had to deal with during that time, he is a great guy, and a great actor, thanks for sharing, thanks!!💝🎉🎉

[@geoffreyfeinberg9792]

He's a legend.

[@Vanessa-qd9gg]

👏👏👏 for Stephen for this interview!

[@Onomatopoeia4u]

This never gets talked about enough. I bet a large chunk of Gen x and millennials don't even know about our own "internment camps" in the US during WWII

[@truthskr7127]

Did you know about present day Uyghur camps in China?

[@donnamariedemaio]

Why do these shows split the clip? Is it so difficult to run a whole 8 minute segment? It doesn't make sense!

[@donnamariedemaio]

@@AmbyJeans That doesn't make any sense at all.

[@neilcheeseburger]

@@donnamariedemaio to get more ad money

[@douglaswmcgavin8509]

Thanks for sharing George Canada loves ya eh

[@mybraineatseverything7404]

When this man speaks, you can hear a pin drop in the room. As it should be.

[@lemonielala3080]

Thank you mr Takei for having the energy to tell the story over and over again to wake people up and never letting us forget! The US was willing to do this to american citizens, why did anyone think immigrants would be treated better? 😞😞 Getting to have an inside look into the situation, hear the experience of a child in a situation like that brings it closer to home for everybody. Especially when the person telling us is someone as universally loved as George is. ❤ (Yes, we should be listening even if the person speaking isn't a well known actor. But a lot of us don't.)

[@CHRISPYakaKON]

Change the title, it was an American internment camp that held Japanese-Americans

[@minervaloves]

I really like his voice 🥰

[@cameronf5893]

To think that when I was growing up we were taught that the Japanese internment camps were a good and fair thing, sickens me to this day.

[@helenpatterson3858]

My grandfather lived near Pasadena and had a Japanese gardener. He had his own living quarters for his wife and child. When the government came for them my grandfather tried everything to exempt them, to no avail. He promised they wouldn't leave the property, said he would take full responsibility, that they were like family; he contacted judges and Senators and Congressmen. Nothing could be done.

[@CasualGamer11]

hey team LNSM, yall should change this video’s title bc in the other video George wanted the camps referred to as “American concentration” and not “Japanese internment”

[@purpurr707]

@@TestedChunk + network politics.

[@Erickchicas]

you should rewatch the video. it's correctly titled. "japanese american internment camp"

[@davedennison7386]

That is one hair,well split. ..prick

[@fuzzybits410]

Success is it's own revenge.

[@deborahchinn2439]

Mr. Takei, America owes you more than we could ever repay you! Thank you for your artistic service to this country and the world despite what this country put you through. Please forgive those who knew not what they were doing to fellow members of humanity!