Several campuses in the California State University system along with a number of California Community Colleges held commencement ceremonies recently in which former Japanese American students who were forced to leave their respective campuses due to their forced relocation from the West Coast and imprisonment in American concentration camps during World War II received honorary degrees.
Ceremonies still on tap:
June 7, 2010: California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
June 8: Los Angeles City College, Compton Junior College (now El Camino College – Compton Community Educational Center)
June 12: Imperial Valley College
June 18: Pasadena City College
July 12: Azusa Pacific University (private college)
Here’s a wrap-up of the news coverage from some of the CSU campuses:
Fresno State (California State University, Fresno)
Fresno State News – Public Attends Fresno State’s Historic Nisei Honorary Degree Ceremony
Rafu Shimpo – Fresno Honors Nisei Graduates
California State University, Dominguez Hills
Daily Breeze – CSUDH Honors WWII Internees
CSU Dominguez Hills – CSU Dominguez Hills College of Professional Studies Commencement – Keynote Address By Warren Furutani
San Jose State University
San Jose Mercury News – Nisei Woman, 87, and Other Japanese Americans To Be Honored By San Jose State
Spartan Daily (San Jose State) – Japanese American Detainees and Students Honored At SJSU Graduation
Bakersfield Junior College (now Bakersfield College)
Bakersfield Californian – Degree Long Overdue
Fullerton College
Rafu Shimpo – A Walk Delayed
Orange County Register – Diplomas, At Last, For World War II Internees
North County Times – OCEANSIDE: Woman To Get Degree After 68 Years
Sacramento City College
Sacramento Bee – Nearly 70 Years Later, Former Students To Get Diplomas
California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (ceremony to be held on June 7, 2010)
San Luis Obispo Tribune – Dan Krieger: Future Poly President Stood Up For Japanese
Fresno State News also produced a news video reporting on their ceremony:
The San Jose Mercury News produced the following report on one of San Jose State’s honorees:
June 2, 2010 at 11:36 AM
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Manzanar Committee, Manzanar Committee. Manzanar Committee said: More Japanese Americans Receive Honorary Degrees From California Colleges: http://wp.me/pjmxI-FM @calstate #japaneseamerican #civilrights [...]