Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

George Takei, who became internationally famous as Lieutenant Sulu in the original Star Trek television series and six movies, was born in Los Angeles, California. In 1942, Takei was moved with his parents and younger brother and sister to the Rohwer Relocation Center in Desha County, Arkansas. In 2003, Takei returned to the Rohwer site to assist in preserving the history of the state’s relocation camps. He also returned to the state in September 2004 to participate in the symposium on Japanese American experiences in Arkansas during World War II that was part of the four-day event, “Life Interrupted: The Japanese American Experience in World War II Arkansas.”