Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (2019) Winner
George Takei
ジョージ・タケイ
George Takei
Aliases:
武井 穂郷 / Hosato Takei / Hosato G. Takei
Pen Names:
Hosato Takei（birth name）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1937-04-20 （Los Angeles, California, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Japanese
- Religion
- Buddhist
- Residence History
- Los Angeles (birth/childhood) → Rohwer War Relocation Center, Arkansas (internment) → Tule Lake War Relocation Center, California (internment) → New York City (residence/work base)
Career
- Occupations
- actor, author, activist
- Active Years
- 1955-
- Affiliations
- Japanese American National Museum (board member / co-founder), East West Players (former chair of the Council of Governors)
- Influenced By
- Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek producer)
- Influenced
- LGBTQ activists and Japanese American civil-rights advocates
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Berkeley | architecture (studies) | — | — | — | United States |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | School of Theater | theater | B.A., M.A. | — | United States |
| Shakespeare Institute (Stratford-upon-Avon) | — | — | — | — | United Kingdom |
| Sophia University (Tokyo) | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Desilu Workshop (Hollywood) | — | — | — | — | United States |
University of California, Berkeley
architecture (studies)
Country:
United States
Studied architecture; later transferred to UCLA to study theater
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
School of Theater
/ theater
Degree:
B.A., M.A.
Year of Graduation:
1964
Country:
United States
Received B.A. (1960) and M.A. (1964) in theater
Shakespeare Institute (Stratford-upon-Avon)
Country:
United Kingdom
attended for theater study
Sophia University (Tokyo)
Country:
Japan
attended as exchange/visitor
Desilu Workshop (Hollywood)
Country:
United States
studied acting in Hollywood workshop
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Hollywood Walk of Fame (Television) | — | — | Hollywood Walk of Fame organization | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette | — | — | Government of Japan | 受賞 |
| 2020 | American Book Award | They Called Us Enemy | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2014 | GLAAD Vito Russo Award | — | — | GLAAD | 受賞 |
| 2019 | Inkpot Award | — | — | Comic-Con International | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (California State University, Los Angeles) | — | — | California State University, Los Angeles | 授与 |
| 2022 | Honorary Doctorate (University of South Australia) | — | — | University of South Australia | 授与 |
| 2007 | San Diego Asian Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award | — | — | San Diego Asian Film Festival | 受賞 |
| 2012 | American Humanist Association LGBT Humanist Award | — | — | American Humanist Association | 受賞 |
Hollywood Walk of Fame (Television)
1986
Organization:
Hollywood Walk of Fame organization
Result:
受賞
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette
2004
Organization:
Government of Japan
Result:
受賞
American Book Award
2020
Work:
They Called Us Enemy
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
GLAAD Vito Russo Award
2014
Organization:
GLAAD
Result:
受賞
Inkpot Award
2019
Organization:
Comic-Con International
Result:
受賞
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (California State University, Los Angeles)
2016
Organization:
California State University, Los Angeles
Result:
授与
Honorary Doctorate (University of South Australia)
2022
Organization:
University of South Australia
Result:
授与
San Diego Asian Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award
2007
Organization:
San Diego Asian Film Festival
Result:
受賞
American Humanist Association LGBT Humanist Award
2012
Organization:
American Humanist Association
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 41 (2020) Winner
Works
Major Works
They Called Us Enemy
2019 memoir / graphic novel 208 pagesA graphic-novel memoir focusing on Takei's childhood experience in Japanese American internment camps, family history, and reflections on American democracy.
internmentcivil rightsfamily memory
Translations
- They Called Us Enemy (English)
To the Stars (autobiography)
1994 autobiography 320 pagesAutobiography recounting his acting career, childhood experiences, and activism.
acting careerdiscrimination and reconciliationcivic rights
Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe
1979 science fictionA science fiction novel co-written with Robert Asprin.
science fictionidentity
Allegiance (musical involvement)
2012 musical / stageA stage musical based on internment experiences in which Takei participated; it premiered regionally and later ran on Broadway.
internmenthistorical memoryimmigrant rights
Bibliography
- Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe (with Robert Asprin, 1979)
- To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei (1994)
- Oh Myyy! (There Goes the Internet) (2012)
- Lions and Tigers and Bears (The Internet Strikes Back) (2013)
- They Called Us Enemy (2019)
- My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story (2024)
- It Rhymes With Takei (2025)
Adaptations
- To Be Takei (documentary, 2014)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- reflective, expository narrationeducational and advocacy-oriented tone
- Recurring Motifs
- internment and memorycivil rights and equalityfamily and identityself-expression with humor
Legacy
Known internationally for his role as Sulu in Star Trek, Takei is also recognized as an author and activist who preserves and communicates the history of Japanese American internment. He has contributed to LGBTQ rights and US–Japan relations and received numerous awards and honorary degrees.
Museums
- Japanese American National Museum Los Angeles, California, U.S. Opened in 1992
Academic Societies
- American Humanist Association (associated)
Archives
- Japanese American National Museum archives (materials related to Takei)
In Popular Culture
- Iconic role as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek (embedded in popular culture)
- Viral social-media presence and meme popularity (famous "Oh Myyy!" tagline)
Quotes
-
My aunt and baby cousin [were] found burnt in a ditch in Hiroshima.
Source: George Takei (memoir / interview)
Trivia
- Asteroid 7307 Takei is named in his honor.
- Publicly came out as gay in 2005.
- Married Brad Altman in 2008 (ceremony at the Japanese American National Museum).
- Has a large social-media following and meme popularity from Facebook posts.