The California State Library has granted the California State University $23,000 to document stories of Japanese-Americans who were awarded special honorary degrees in ceremonies at California State University, Fresno and at five other CSU campuses.
“The project will be a memorial dedicated to the approximate 250 CSU students who were removed from our campuses in 1941-42 and sent to internment camps,” said Colleen Bentley, CSU director of special projects.
Fresno State identified 83 alumni eligible for recognition and made contact with most of them or with their relatives. At a special ceremony that was part of the university’s Commencement celebration, honorary bachelor’s degrees in humane letters were presented to six former students and to relatives of another 21 Nisei students.
The stories will be on video and audio and posted on the website www.calstate.edu/nisei. DVDs will be made and distributed to libraries, schools and community centers.
The documentary project is funded through the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program.
More information is available from Bentley, cbentley@calstate.edu or 562.951-4801.
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