A TED Talk by George Takei About How Living in an Internment Camp Affected His Outlook on Social Justice

“Why I Love a Country That Once Betrayed Me” is a TED Talk by George Takei featuring the Star Trek actor turned social activist discussing how spending time in a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II impacted his views on American democracy and social justice.

I am dedicated to make my country an even better America. I’m dedicated to making our government an even truer democracy. And because of the heroes I have and the struggles I’ve gone through, I can stand before you as a gay Japanese-American. But even more than that, I am a proud American.

Takei is the subject of the upcoming documentary To Be Takei, which addresses those early years as well as his path to Star Trek and beyond.