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Consul General Nagamine attends the Honorary Degree Ceremonies at University of California Campuses
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In 1942 when World War II began, 2,567 Japanese Americans attended higher education institutions in California. The University of California, including San Francisco, Berkeley, Davis, and Los Angeles, had approximately 700 Japanese American students. Those students, however, were interrupted to study by their incarceration in internment camps. In July, the University of California made a historic decision to give the honorary degrees to those Japanese American students who were deprived of their education. Consul General Nagamine attended the Honorary Degree Ceremonies at both UC San Francisco on December 4th and UC Davis on December 12th.
 Honorary Degree Ceremony at UC San Francisco
 Photo Gallery
Three former Japanese American students and approximately twenty-five representatives of former students were invited to the ceremony. There were about 300 people in attendance at Robertson Hall, including relatives of honorees and the media.
Consul General Nagamine was at the stage with Chancellor Desmond-Hellmann and deans of UC San Francisco. In Consul General¡Çs remarks, he stated, ¡ÈSince the end of the war between Japan and the United States more than sixty years ago, I believe that we have come so far, and now are blessed with one of the strongest alliances in the world. Some may take this alliance for granted, but it did not simply appear overnight. The bridge between peoples has been built through the earnest devotion of many citizens on both sides of the Pacific, after the war. And among the people who have strived so hard to strengthen the relationship between our two nations, the Nisei have formed a pivotal link.¡É
In his keynote speech, Pat Hayashi, former vice president of the University of California, introduced the story of the UC San Francisco¡Çs faculty who strived to help Japanese American students at the time. When Chancellor Desmond-Hellmann and the deans presented the honorary degree to Japanese American students and their family, honorees also received waves of applause.
| WHEN |
Friday, December 4, 2009 |
| WHERE |
UC San Francisco, Robertson Hall |
 Honorary Degree Ceremony in UC Davis
Photo Gallery
300 students graduated during the December 2009 graduation ceremony at UC Davis. In 1947, there were forty-seven Japanese American students enrolled at the university. Of those forty-seven students, three of the Japanese American students from 1947 were in attendance at the 2009 ceremony, as well as the families of eleven former students to receive their honorary degree. There were approximately 3,000 in the audience, including families, friends, and the media at ARC pavilion at UC Davis.
Consul General Nagamine, along with Chancellor Linda Katehi and deans of the university welcomed the 2009 graduates and the honorary degree recipients.
In his remarks, Consul General Nagamine stated, ¡ÈSince the end of the war between Japan and the United States more than sixty years ago, I believe that we have come so far, and now are blessed with one of the strongest alliances in the world. Some may take this alliance for granted, but it did not simply appear overnight. The bridge between peoples has been built through the earnest devotion of many citizens on both sides of the Pacific after the war. And among the people who have striven so hard to strengthen the relationship between our two nations, the Nisei have formed a pivotal link. The Nisei were born in the U.S. as U.S. citizens, but they grew up during a difficult time and had many extraordinary experiences before and during the war.
¡ÈYou were sent to internment camps. This year, I joined the pilgrimages to the Pinedale Assembly Center in Manzanar and to Tule Lake, and I tried to understand what it was like in the camps. But you have never given up. After the war, it was your courage, your friendship, and your determination that bridged the gap between the two nations and two peoples, and brought us to the era of real partnership that we now enjoy.¡É
Chancellor Katehi and Dean Van Alfen presented the honorary degree to former Japanese American students, during which, the crowds applauded them.
Chancellor Katehi hosted lunch for honorees after the ceremony. Consul General Nagamine conversed with each honoree and their family, individually, to congratulate them.
| WHEN |
Saturday, December 12, 2009 |
| WHERE |
UC Davis, ARC Pavilion |
For more information, please contact Yoshiro Tasaka at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco at (415) 777-3533, extension 441.
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