13 Facts About Nao Takasugi

Naoyuki "Nao" Takasugi was an American politician from California, a member of the Republican Party, and a survivor of the Japanese American internment camps.

Nao Takasugi was later transferred to the War Relocation Authority camp at Gila River, Arizona.

In February 1943, Nao Takasugi became one of 4,000 students released from camp to continue college and relocated to the East Coast.

Nao Takasugi earned his bachelor's degree from Temple University in 1945 and his MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946.

The Nao Takasugi family had opened the store in 1907 and had left it in the custody of employee Ignacio Carmona when they were forced to enter camp.

In 1952, Nao Takasugi married his wife, Judy, with whom he had five children, Scott, Russell, Ron, Tricia and Lea.

Nao Takasugi was reelected to the council in 1980 and then was elected Mayor of Oxnard in 1982.

Nao Takasugi won election to the California State Assembly in 1992, then becoming the only Asian American in the legislature at that time.

Nao Takasugi won easy reelection in 1994 and 1996 but term limits prevented him from running again in 1998.

Nao Takasugi remained in the position until retiring in 2008.

The Nao Takasugi family was featured in the book "The Greatest Generation" by Tom Brokaw.

At the age of 87, Nao Takasugi died of complications from a stroke on November 19,2009, at 8:20 PM at St John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard.

Nao Takasugi was survived by his wife of 57 years, Judy.