Cal Poly to Celebrate Japanese-American Alumni at Special June 7 Commencement Ceremony

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Japanese-American Cal Poly alumni who were interned during World War II will receive honorary bachelor’s degrees during a special commencement ceremony Monday, June 7 at 11 a.m. President Warren J. Baker will confer the degrees.

The celebration is part of the CSUs Nisei Project. Last September, the California State University Board of Trustees unanimously voted to award Special Honorary Bachelor of Humane Letters degrees to CSU students of Japanese ancestry whose college educations were disrupted by their forced removal from the West Coast and incarceration during World War II.

Cal Poly has identified approximately 30 former students who are eligible to receive an honorary degree, and is reaching out to the former students and their families to make them aware of this opportunity.

To assist in the outreach to former students, the CSU has established a dedicated phone number and email address: 562-951-4723 and nisei@calstate.edu. At Cal Poly, Kimi Ikeda, assistant vice provost for Systems and Resource Management, is leading the outreach effort. She may be reached at 805-756-2186.

For more information about the CSU Nisei Project, visit http://www.calstate.edu/Nisei/index.shtml.

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