[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13855]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO GEORGE TAKEI

 Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, ``Oh Myyy!'' My friend George Takei 
is being honored with the National Asian Pacific American Bar 
Association's, NAPABA, Inspire Award. In addition to his many 
contributions to the arts, George has been on the forefront for 
decades, fighting for those who don't have a voice.
  When he was just 4 years old, the trajectory of George's life changed 
forever. His family and nearly 120,000 other Japanese Americans were 
declared enemy aliens and were forcibly removed from their homes for 
the duration of World War II. George's family packed up their entire 
lives into one suitcase and endured harsh living conditions in 
ramshackle internment camps.
  The internment of Japanese Americans remains one of our country's 
darkest moments, and George has made it his life's work to educate a 
new generation of Americans about the importance of protecting 
fundamental rights.
  George's most ambitious endeavor, ``Allegiance,'' a musical on the 
internment, exposed a new audience to the shock, humiliation, anger, 
and resolve of one family, the Kimuras, who were interned in Heart 
Mountain, WY. As for others, the Kimura's internment harm didn't end 
when the war did. There was irreparable damage to the family's unity, 
hopes, and dreams.
  In a TED Talk, George recounted the heroism of Japanese Americans who 
volunteered to serve in the military despite being declared enemy 
aliens. Their segregated units--the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 
100th Battalion, and the Military Intelligence Service--remain some of 
the most decorated units in the Army.
  ``They gave me a legacy, and with that legacy comes a responsibility, 
and I am dedicated to making my country an even better America, to 
making our government an even truer democracy, and because of the 
heroes that I have and the struggles that we've gone through, I can 
stand before you as a gay Japanese-American, but even more than that, I 
am a proud American.''
  George is also a tireless advocate for and leader in the LGBT 
community. In 2005, George bravely stood up to conservative attacks on 
marriage equality by publicly coming out as gay. In 2008, he and his 
husband, Brad, became the first LGBT couple in West Hollywood to apply 
for a marriage license. More than a decade later, America has caught up 
to George, and marriage equality is the law of the land.
  George has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to stand up for people 
who don't always have a voice. And this award is as much a recognition 
of the work he will continue to do as much as for what he has already 
done.
  Congratulations, George, on a well-deserved honor.

                          ____________________