Henry Takei is the brother of George Takei. Henry Takei is a celebrated Japanese-American actor, author, and activist who is a charismatic champion for the arts, community engagement, and social justice. He is known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the fictional starship USS Enterprise in the television series Star Trek and subsequent films.

Henry Takei: Bio Summary

Who is George Takei’s brother?

Henry Takei is George Takei’s little brother. He is the middle child of Takekuma Norman Takei and Fumiko Emily Takei. Henry is followed closely by their younger sister Nancy Reiko Takei. An admirer of English royalty, Takekuma gave his two boys their names after the royal family.

The first son was given the name George in honor of King George VI because he was born in 1937, the year of the coronation. Henry, of course, was the name of the second baby, a large, chubby infant who was as fat as the pudgy King Henry VIII. The couple gave their only daughter, the third child, the name Nancy Reiko in honor of a friend they both admired.

ALSO, READ; Fumiko Emily Takei: Inside the Life of George Takei’s mother?

George Takei’ and his brother were very close

Henry Takei and his elder brother George are extremely close, both emotionally and in age (though in his memoir They Called Us Enemy, he never states outright how old Henry is, he appears to be only a year or two younger than George). Henry follows George in everything he does.

 Their father had a successful dry cleaning business in the Wilshire district near the fashionable Bullock’s Wilshire department store. However, things took a different turn for the Takei family after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.

ALSO, READ; Henry Takei: Where is George Takei’s brother now?

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which directed all Japanese Americans to be evacuated from the west coast. The Takei family was ordered out of their home on Garnet Street by armed soldiers and forced to stay in the horse stables of nearby Santa Anita Race Track.

The Takei family was later transported two-thirds across the country to the swamps of southeastern Arkansas to a camp bristling with barbed wire fences, guarded by tall sentry towers, euphemistically called, Rohwer Relocation Center. So as not to scare their sons, George and Henry, they told them that they were going on holiday. “Henry and I were jumping for joy,” Takei remembers. But they were surprised to see adults in the train carriage crying.

ALSO, READ; Takekuma Norman Takei: What happened to George Takei’s father?

At Camp Rohwer, George and Henry amuse themselves by catching beautiful insects, and, as they’re still young children, their needs and desires are relatively simple. Life in the swamp was arduous. When it rained, the whole camp turned into a big, mucky bog. For old people and mothers with young children, the thrice daily trek to the mess hall for meals became an impossible ordeal.

However, they wanted candy, to meet Santa at Christmas time, and they’re able to find joy in the simple pleasures of seeing snow for the first time or taking a ride in a jeep. The war ended in 1945 and the Takei family returned back home to Los Angeles. Like George, Henry struggles to adjust when the family leaves the camp for the Alta Hotel in Los Angeles.

Henry Takei’s parents diligently accumulated small savings by putting in long, exhausting hours of work. The kids were getting older and worried about the future. They desired for their kids to live in a better area and have better educations. They were adamant that receiving a quality education was crucial for them. They were able to purchase a three-bedroom home in their old mid-Wilshire area four years after leaving the camps.

ALSO, READ; Brad Takei: Who is George Takei’s husband?

Where is Henry Takei now?

Though he is the brother of a famous Hollywood star, Henry Takei has been very private and spent most of his life away from the spotlight. However, Per Nndb, George Takei’s brother, Henry is a dentist. Not much is known about Henry’s current settings. His famous brother has not spoken much about him in any recent interviews.

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