'Star Trek' icon talks to students

On the Starship Enterprise, George Takei -- otherwise known as Mr. Sulu -- and his Star Trek crew fought against the evil forces of the Klingons and Romulans. In real life, Takei has taken on a mission of his own. Last night, Takei spoke to more than 50 students and faculty as part of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Week festivities, expressing his belief that Americans will "live long and prosper" if they focus on their similarities. Takei, who played the Enterprise's navigator, explained that Americans must work together to ensure the future success of our country. He commented on the divisive nature of the O.J. Simpson verdict and the Million Man March, and expressed his belief that people are defining their differences rather than finding common ground. "In the words of the Civil Rights anthem, 'we shall overcome' together not as Asians, African Americans and Jewish Americans but as Americans," Takei said. "We are an extraordinary experiment in human history and I want the experiment to succeed." Takei's keynote speech addressed the struggles faced by Asian Americans in the United States and spoke about his own family's experiences in the U.S.'s Japanese Internment camps during World War II. He recalled his confusion at his father's desire to become a citizen of the state that imprisoned him. His father explained his theory to young Takei. "[Being] American is a rare human experience," his father had said. "Unless good people participate in the government then democracy becomes less true. The government is as fallible as the people and those ideals can fail during a war." Engineering senior Charissa Huan said she was thrilled with the outcome of the event. "We have been trying to get George Takei to Penn for the last two years and were really excited that he could deliver the keynote address," she said. "He is one of the earliest Asian American actors in television and has become an icon in American society." Takei reacted to this title with a degree of modesty. "I feel overwhelmed that I'm considered an icon," he said. "I am fortunate that my character is a breakthrough role and has the elements of a classical hero. "In the past, Asian Americans usually only played minor or adversarial roles," he added. Takei also said that the growth of Asian American directors and writers has contributed to this change. "Before, roles were being written by people on the outside looking in," he explained. Alvin Alvarez, an psychologist at University Counseling Services and faculty advisor for Heritage Week, said he felt Takei "showed Asian Americans a range of alternatives of what is possible for them."