DARKER TREK,
‘Star Trek’s’ Takei shares his family’s internment camp experience
As astounding as this news might be to Trekkies, half of George Takei’s fans don’t know him from “Star Trek.”
In the years since Takei put down his phaser, he has become an LGBTQ icon, political activist, stage actor, author and social media sensation — he has 2 million Twitter followers and 10 million Facebook friends.
“Back then, during the TV show and movies, I was recognized as Sulu,” he said from his home in Southern California. “Now I’m recognized as George Takei, and I can tell you, that’s much more satisfying.”
Of course, he’s always happy to beam back into his best-known role. On Friday, Takei will take the stage at the Wang Theatre to share stories and answer questions following a screening of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”
“‘Star Trek’ has amplified my voice, given it a celebrity patina, if you will, and I’m forever grateful for that,” he said. “And it has allowed me to realize my life’s work.”
Takei talks fondly of his days as the senior helmsman on the USS Enterprise. But he regularly turns the conversation to his personal story of being imprisoned in an internment camp during World War II.
Takei was only 5 when his family was shipped to Arkansas and confined to a camp with other Japanese Americans. His family tale was the basis for the Broadway musical “Allegiance” starring Takei.
Although “Allegiance” only ran on Broadway for four months and closed in February, the show was a smash success when shown in movie theaters on Dec. 13.
“We screened in over 600 theaters in America and Canada, where Japanese Canadians faced the same imprisonment during the Second World War,” Takei said. “And we broke (promoter) Fathom Events record for an event like this.”
The showing brought in more than $1 million in ticket sales, outpacing every presentation the 14-year-old company has put on. Now “Allegiance” will return for an encore showing in theaters Feb. 19, the 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066, which began the forced relocation and internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans. “When I tell people my story, my family’s history, they are aghast,” Takei said. “So many people didn’t know that this happened to me or that it happened at all. And now, with talk of Muslim registries by the administration, it’s as important as ever for people to learn this history.”
Takei’s views on Trump are no secret. His current profile image on Twitter pictures him with a sign reading “Dump Trump,” and his feed is littered with defiant tweets about the president’s actions. But he’ll follow them with Facebook posts featuring silly cat videos and goat yoga. (Yes, it’s yoga with goats in the room.) Through turmoil, he remains positive.
“It’s what I learned from my parents,” he said. “Even when they were in camp, they worked to make life a little better, a little prettier. We must always find joy in life, even as we fight for what we believe in.”