Special Event Honors Former Students Interned During World War II

After an extensive search for former San Diego State students eligible for honorary degrees under the California Nisei College Diploma Project, the university will recognize 18 individuals in a 1:30 p.m. public ceremony May 17 at the Aztec Athletics Center Auditorium.  Two of the former students are expected to attend the event with another seven represented by family members.  Nine honorary degrees will be sent to former students or their family members who are unable to attend.  

Former student Carl Yoshimine will receive an honorary degree from SDSU in a May 17 campus ceremony.

Among those expected at the ceremony is 86-year-old Carl Yoshimine of Anaheim who was a 17-year-old freshman on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese navy attacked Pearl Harbor, involving the United States in World War II.  He and more than 40 other San Diego State students of Japanese descent were sent to internment camps in the spring of 1942 by presidential order.  They were among an estimated 250 such students attending California State University institutions at the time. 

Recent legislation prompted the CSU to confer honorary degrees to those students through the California Nisei College Diploma Project.  CSU dignitaries will be on hand for the May 17 ceremony along with SDSU administrators and community leaders.

The other former student expected to attend is June Kushino of San Diego.  In addition to receiving her own honorary degree, she will accept degrees on behalf of two of her cousins, one who is unable to attend the ceremony and the other who is deceased. 

His children presented former student Noboru Takashima of Oregon with an SDSU honorary degree for his 90th birthday.

Also scheduled to be recognized, but unable to attend is Noboru Takashima who lives in Oregon.  The university sent his honorary degree to his family who presented it to him last month at his 90th birthday celebration.

Members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend the May 17 campus ceremony.  If you know someone who may qualify for an honorary degree, please contact SDSU’s Kristina Moller at (619) 594-8274 or kmoller@mail.sdsu.edu.