TORRANCE — “The Story of the Nisei Trojans” will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 1 p.m. at Faith United Methodist Church, 2115 W. 182nd St. in Torrance.
Speakers: Glenn Osaki and Jon Kaji. In-person program; masks required.
In 1942, there were about 120 Japanese American students enrolled at the University of Southern California. Following Executive Order 9066, all were forced to end their studies and most were forcibly relocated to concentration camps. USC refused to release these students’ transcripts so that they could transfer to other schools to complete their education.
Since 2007, Kaji, then president of the USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association, pushed USC to atone for its treatment of these Nisei students.
Osaki, senior advisor to the USC president, and Kaji will discuss the 15-year effort to have USC issue honorary degrees to all displaced Nisei students and right a wrong – 80 years later.
The culmination of these efforts occurred at the USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association Gala on April 1, 2022, when posthumous honorary degrees were awarded to the families of the deceased Nisei Trojans.
Sponsored by Faith UMC’s Social Action Committee and co-sponsored by Greater L.A. chapter of JACL.
Info.: Faith UMC at (310) 217-7000 or Louise at greaterlajacl@gmail.com.