httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p-d2sQ_Y14
*Correction to video: At 1:33, the alumnus speaking is Richard Toshio Henmi
California State University, Fresno made history on May 20 when it conferred honorary degrees upon Japanese-American alumni whose college careers were disrupted by internment ordered for people of Japanese descent two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Six of those alumni and representatives of 21 others who were enrolled at Fresno State in late 1941 and early 1942 received honorary Bachelor of Humane Letters degrees under the California State University’s Nisei Diploma Project.
The honorary degrees were conferred in a public ceremony at noon May 20 at the Satellite Student Union on the Fresno State campus. Doors opened at 11:45 a.m. and there was a reception afterward at which cake provided by the Central California District Council of the Japanese-American Citizens League and beverages was served.
University President John D. Welty presented the diplomas with CSU Trustees Dr. Peter Mehas, Carol Chandler and Russel Statham.
Paul Osaki, executive director of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California and a member of the CSU Nisei Honorary Committee, was the principal speaker. He has been active in publicizing the Nisei Diploma Project and helping contact eligible alumni from Fresno State and other CSU campuses..
Welty said the ceremony is of special significance because of the sacrifices made in the wake of Executive Order 9066 on Feb. 19, 1942. “With the stroke of a pen, families were devastated, their life’s work forcibly abandoned, property left behind, college careers disrupted, loyalty doubted and constitutional rights ignored,” he said.
“This long-overdue recognition honors the determination and courage of Americans who overcame their challenges to lead exemplary, inspiring lives,” added Welty.
The six Fresno State Nisei alumni who received degrees are Julia Goto Ohki of Livingston, Richard Toshio Henmi of St. Louis, Mo., Joan Kanagawa Fujihara of Del Rey, Sumi Kamikawa Murashima of Berkeley and Satoshi Kuwamoto and Kazue Sekiya Iwatsubo, both of Fresno.
Diplomas were presented to the families of John Arakaki, Harold H. Arase, Akira Jitsumyo, Sumiye Jitsumyo Hatakeda, Toshio T. Ishimoto, Lois S. Kanagawa, Taro Katagiri, Haruko Herky Kawahara, Nao “Jack” Kawakami, Mary Kobayashi Shimizu, Mary Machida, Takami Misaki, Sachiye Maruko, Ann T. Miyamoto, Frank Yoshiharu Nishio, Olive Tetsuko Ogawa, Alice Yutaka Osaki, Shigeru Sanbongi, Otto Hiromu Suda, Helen Yemoto and Velma Yemoto.
The Nisei Diploma Project was launched in response to legislation by Assemblymember Warren Furutani, D-Long Beach, authorizing honorary degrees from the CSU’s 23-campus system, the University of California and the state’s community colleges.
Furutani described the Nisei Diploma Project as “an opportunity for our state to honor Americans of Japanese descent who suffered a significant injustice.”
Fresno State’s participation began immediately after the Nisei Diploma Project was established by the CSU Board of Trustees in September 2009. The university conferred its first honorary degree upon John Hiroshi Otomo of Selma in a Christmas Eve ceremony at Selma City Hall.
Welty said then that the university intended to reach out to all alumni eligible for the honorary degrees. Dr. Paul Oliaro, the vice president for Student Affairs, formed a team to identify alumni and to plan a commencement ceremony.
Fresno State attempted to contact all 83 eligible alumni or their families to invite them to the May 20 event. Those unable to attend will receive their diplomas by mail. Fresno State is continuing to work with community groups to locate the remainder of these alumni and their families.
“Our search will continue to find all of our honorary degree candidates or their families,” Oliaro added. “However, we wanted to have an event during our university Commencement season recognizing as many of those we’ve already contacted as possible.”
He said anyone with information about Japanese-Americans who attended Fresno State around the beginning of American involvement in World War II should contact him at 559.278.2541 or poliaro@csufresno.edu.
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