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It's considered a dark chapter in American history. More than 120,000 Japanese-Americans were sent to internment camps during World War II. Not only were families displaced, but an often overlooked part of that history was its effect it had on college students, many of whom were forced to leave their education behind.
67 years later, the state's higher education system is looking to right a grave wrong, according to CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an important bill that hopes to right that wrong. Assembly bill 37 allows the University of California, and California State University school systems to give honorary degrees to Japanese-American students that were forced to leave school because of internment. The governor signed the bill on Oct. 11, but the challenge now is finding them.
"I think enrollment services has told me they've come up with a list of 41 or 42," said Robert Ray, San Diego State University's head of special collections.
Ray has been able to gather old newspaper clippings of The Aztec newspaper and yearbooks. But the problem is that many of them live throughout the country.
Helping the university is the Japanese-American Historical Society and it's curator, Susan Hasegawa.
Hasegawa's been able to talk to a few former Aztecs. She said that many of them pursued higher education outside of San Diego. However, finding the students or their families remains challenging.
" I think it's a really positive gesture and I think it's interesting because many of these former students are in their 80's and 90's," she said.
Higher education officials say there were about 250 Japanese-American students statewide that would've been affected by the internment order. There is no official ceremony, however it will be up to the respective universities to decide how to give the honorary degrees.
67 years later, the state's higher education system is looking to right a grave wrong, according to CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an important bill that hopes to right that wrong. Assembly bill 37 allows the University of California, and California State University school systems to give honorary degrees to Japanese-American students that were forced to leave school because of internment. The governor signed the bill on Oct. 11, but the challenge now is finding them.
"I think enrollment services has told me they've come up with a list of 41 or 42," said Robert Ray, San Diego State University's head of special collections.
Ray has been able to gather old newspaper clippings of The Aztec newspaper and yearbooks. But the problem is that many of them live throughout the country.
Helping the university is the Japanese-American Historical Society and it's curator, Susan Hasegawa.
Hasegawa's been able to talk to a few former Aztecs. She said that many of them pursued higher education outside of San Diego. However, finding the students or their families remains challenging.
" I think it's a really positive gesture and I think it's interesting because many of these former students are in their 80's and 90's," she said.
Higher education officials say there were about 250 Japanese-American students statewide that would've been affected by the internment order. There is no official ceremony, however it will be up to the respective universities to decide how to give the honorary degrees.
