Here's another interview of John Cho, the actor who portrays the character of Sulu:



Here are some excerpts from that interview:

I did feel pressure, John Cho explains of his role as Sulu in the new "Star Trek" movie. "You're doing a role that another actor did and you certainly don't want to dishonor that. And I felt pressure to honor the Star Trekkers, the fans, to do right by them. They're very passionate about this mythology and you don't want to mess with that," Cho tells Hollywood Today.
"It's a younger, more action-filled, more athletic version of "Star Trek," so, I think both camps will be happy," Cho says, of the new film...

At first, Cho was concerned that some Japanese-Americans might take issue with the fact that now Sulu was being played by a Korean-American as opposed to a Japanese-American. So he brought his concern to George Takei, the actor who originally portrayed Sulu in "Star Trek" the series, and who has recently become a gay-rights activist.

"He informed me that Gene Roddenberry, the creator of "Star Trek," actually meant for Sulu to represent multiple Asian countries. The Sulu Sea is what his character is named after. And it touches many Asian countries. He didn't want Sulu to be Japanese-American he wanted him to represent a part of the world that he wanted on the bridge of the Enterprise."

He explains that one of his biggest goals in Hollywood is to help make Asians more visible in major roles. Part of that mission is being accomplished through his work on "Star Trek."
"Star Trek" is a classic Western. Going westward, looking for new territory. But without the restrictions of race...

[Cho's thoughts about Star Trek] "I think that Star Trek…represents a very optimistic vision of America, different races and cultures and colors coming together for a peaceful mission. It's a very hopeful version of America and I think that's one of the keys to its success."