UO will bestow belated honors.

Byline: Jeff Wright The Register-Guard

They look earnest, they look hopeful, they look young.

They are students at the University of Oregon, mostly freshmen and sophomores, intent on pursuing careers in business, music, architecture and journalism. They gaze from the university's 1942 yearbook, the Oregana.

But their academic careers and futures were thrown into disarray with the signing of Executive Order 9066, the presidential edict ordering Japanese-Americans to leave the West Coast amid the hysteria and prejudice that followed Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor. They scattered to other universities farther east, or joined the military. They rebuilt their lives.

On Sunday, the 20 former students will receive honorary degrees from the UO - degrees they had expected to have earned more than 60 years ago.

At least eight of the 20 will receive their degrees posthumously, including two or three whose surviving family members will attend Sunday. Of those who are still alive - all in their 80s now - at least four plan to attend in person.

Robert Yasui, a retired surgeon battling Parkinson's disease, will travel from his home in Pennsylvania.

"It is really a bit overwhelming to learn that the university will pay attention to such a long-time-ago incident," Yasui said in an e-mail. "After a long and productive life as a physician, I am grateful that I can `end' my career on such a positive note."

Alice Kawasaki Sumida and Sam Naito, both of Portland, and Midori Funatake Komoto of Ontario also plan to attend. Sumida and Komoto had long careers in nursing; Naito is a successful and still-active businessman.

Not everyone is equally enthusiastic. Makoto Iwashita, 85, said he'll probably stay home in Portland, citing family matters and an inability to drive long distances.

"It's a nice gesture, no doubt," he said of the honorary degree. "But my first reaction was, even if they gave it to me, it would be mostly political because I didn't earn it; I did not even take any exams. At my age, a degree is not going to help me any. I already have a degree."

Sunday's ceremony is the culmination of a process that blossomed last spring when the state Legislature approved a bill giving Oregon universities authority to grant degrees to students who were unable to graduate in 1942 due to being sent to an internment camp. UO officials were so enthusiastic about the idea that they decided the degrees should go to any Japanese-American student forced to leave campus, regardless of whether they were ever sent to a camp.

The honorary degrees, approved by the UO Senate last fall, are exceptional; since 1942, the UO has awarded only four: to former Philippines President Corazon Aquino, Oregon Bach Festival co-founder Helmut Rilling, former U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield and Children's Defense Fund founder Marian Edelman.

A 25-member planning committee has worked to organize Sunday's ceremony and contact all the families. Committee member David Toyama said it's been gratifying to speak with surviving family members. Among the surprises: The eldest son of honoree Ted Hachiya did not know his late father had ever attended the UO.

Alice Endo Aikens of Eugene, another committee member, said she's been struck by the successful lives that many of the honorees have built despite the hardships of their interrupted educations. Aikens said she jumped at the chance to help the university honor its former students.

"To me, it means that the University of Oregon recognizes that a grave injustice occurred, and is making amends," she said.

If time allows, Sunday's honorees will visit the "Forced Journey" memorial located just outside the Hult Center on East Sixth Avenue. The memorial, dedicated last year, includes rock pavers with the inscribed names of individuals and families who were affected by Executive Order 9066.

Aikens, the memorial's fundraising chairwoman, said a new paver will be inscribed later this spring bearing 23 names - including the 20 students to be honored Sunday.

The other three names will be Harry Fukuda, who returned to the UO to complete his degree in 1944 after transferring from Drake University in Iowa; Hitachi Watanabe, who returned to the UO to complete a master's degree in 1960; and Michi Yasui Ando, who missed her UO graduation ceremony in 1942 because of an 8 p.m. curfew imposed upon Japanese-Americans.

Ando was invited back to UO commencement and received her diploma in 1986. The bronze statue of a young girl at the "Forced Journey" memorial is modeled after her.

Ando, who died two years ago at age 86, was the elder sister of Sunday honoree Robert Yasui. Yasui has been back to Eugene only once since being forced to leave in 1942 - to hear his sister give her commencement speech.

One of Yasui's brothers may soon have a permanent endowed chair named for him at the UO School of Law. Minoru Yasui, a lawyer, gained notoriety - and jail time - when he challenged as unconstitutional the federal government's edicts against Japanese-American citizens.

Robert Yasui, 84, said he wants to return to Eugene this week in part to honor his father, Masuo, who immigrated alone to the United States in 1903 at age 16. His father desperately wanted his children to receive good educations and prosper, especially after he was denied the chance to pursue his own dream to become a lawyer.

Yasui said his father never fully recovered from his years in a federal prison camp during World War II, and from knowing that others doubted his loyalty and patriotism. His father, Yasui said, became delusional in his final years and took his own life.

"But his lasting gift to me was when he said: `Individuals do wrong to others out of ignorance, so if you can show them the truth, the injustice will be corrected and now your enemy will be your friend.'?"

HONORING CEREMONY

What: Former UO students from 1942 will receive honorary degrees; Lawson Inada, Oregon poet laureate and editor of "Only What We Can Carry," will lead a discussion

When: Sunday, 3 p.m.

Where: UO's Gerlinger Lounge, 1468 University St.

CHIYE ARAI

Freshman in general studies

Later attended University of Minnesota; current whereabouts unknown.

FRANK HACHIYA

Sophomore in liberal arts

From Hood River and Portland. Killed in action in the Philippines in December 1944; awarded Silver Star posthumously.

TED HACHIYA

Sophomore in business

Originally from Portland; deceased.

THOMAS HAYASHI

Graduate student

Graduated from UO in 1939 with bachelor's in psychology; returned in 1941 to pursue graduate degree; will receive honorary master's degree. Originally from Astoria; coached YMCA basketball and became business owner in Chicago. Deceased.

WOODROW ICHIHASHI

Freshman in architecture

From Portland, later lived in Bloomington, Ill. Deceased.

KENJI INAHARA

Freshman in business

From Hillsboro, later lived in Seattle. Deceased.

HAROLD ITO

Junior in business

From Portland, now lives in Valencia, Calif. Made news with letter he wrote in December 1941 condemning Pearl Harbor attack and pledging loyalty to United States.

MARY FURUSHO IWASAKI

Freshman in music

Shared dorm room with fellow inductee Alice Kawasaski Sumida; later attended Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Lives in Hillsboro.

MAKOTO IWASHITA

Sophomore in business

Grew up in Portland, shared dorm room with fellow inductee Sam Naito; later graduated from New York University. Served in U.S. Army, did research work in Hiroshima on effects of A-bomb radiation. Worked in giftware import business in Portland, where he still lives. Two children.

TAKUO KAWAUCHI

Sophomore in business

Studies cut short when ordered by U.S. Army to report for basic training. Originally from Sacramento; later resided in Menlo Park, Calif. Deceased.

MIDORI FUNATAKE KOMOTO

Freshman in liberal arts

Worked as chief of nursing. Lives in Ontario.

GRACE IKUKO KUMAZAWA

Sophomore in biology

Grew up in greater Portland area; completed degree in microbiology at University of Missouri; had long career in hospital lab work; lives in Castro Valley, Calif.

SAMUEL NAITO

Sophomore in business

Grew up in Portland. Attended University of Utah. Serves as CEO of Naito Corp. in Portland and is president of Made In Oregon stores franchise.

KENZO NAKAGAWA

Sophomore in liberal arts

Grew up in Portland. Attended University of Utah. Lives in Modesto, Calif.

ELLEN OGAWA

Sophomore in journalism

Previously lived in Germany, currently lives in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho.

TADASHI OSAKI

Junior in German

Lived in Sacramento. Deceased.

ALICE KAWASAKI SUMIDA

Freshman in liberal arts

Grew up in Portland, completed nursing education in New York, worked many years as registered nurse in Portland. Four children.

LAWRENCE TAKEI

Freshman in business

Lives in Portland.

GEORGE UCHIYAMA

Sophomore in liberal arts

Attended University of Utah. Graduated with honors from St. Louis University School of Dentistry, wrote classic textbook on orthodontics, lectured throughout world. Lived in St. Louis. Died in 1999.

ROBERT YASUI

Sophomore in liberal arts

Grew up in Hood River. Graduated from medical school in Philadelphia, served two years in Army Medical Corps in Germany. Had surgery practice in Williamsport, Pa., for 48 years, retiring in 1997. Lives in Mountoursville, Pa. Five children.