On October 16, nearly seven decades after their college educations were interrupted by internment during World War II, 78 Japanese Americans finally received a diploma.

Fifty-one families, including 43 former students, were in attendance to receive honorary Associate of Arts Degrees from the Compton Community College District in a special graduation ceremony as part of the California Nisei College Diploma Project. Assembly Member Warren Furutani was the keynote speaker for the ceremony. In his address he noted that the Compton District ceremony was one of the largest California Nisei Diploma Project ceremonies he attended.

In 2009, Furutani authored Assembly Bill 37, which bestows honorary degrees on individuals whose college education was disrupted due to the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. The California Community College, California State University and University of California systems are all participating in this project. Since this historic legislation was signed into law, hundreds of Japanese Americans have received honorary degrees, some posthumously, from colleges and universities throughout California.

A biography for Assembly Member Furutani can be found at http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a55/Biography/default.aspx and information about his extensive support of education is outlined at http://www.cmta.net/legsample.php?leg=furutani_warren.

With approximately 300 people in attendance, the festivities began with a reception in the ECC Compton Center Student Lounge and a viewing of an exhibit titled "The Nisei Student Experience at Compton Junior College." Following the ceremony, the exhibit will remain in the library for the remainder of the fall semester to help share these students’ stories.

Congratulations to all of our Nisei graduates and family members! We are proud to have participated in this historic statewide initiative.