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Oral
History P-S
ELIZABETH
PINKERTON
The three
main parts of this oral history: early life as child growing up
in a Croatian immigrant family; WW II period teaching in the Elk
Grove schools and learning about Japanese Americans; and the
1978-1987 period the book, We the People ñ A Story of
Internment in America, is being put together by Pinkerton
(Non-Nikkei) and Mary Tsukamoto. Also, Pinkerton (61) discusses
the efforts of Mary and the consultant role she plays in helping
to set up the Smithsonian Exhibit, "A More Perfect Union:
The Japanese Americans and the United States Constitution"
She is an author, historian and writer.
ANN RUDIN
Mrs. Rudin
was born in
Passaic
,
New Jersey
, and the early years were spent mostly in Italian immigrant
communities. At
Temple
University
,
Philadelphia
, she studied nursing and met her husband, Edward, here. She was
fully ìexposedî to Japanese Americans and multiculturalism
after coming to
California
and
Sacramento
, the familyís home for the past forty years. The late Mary
Tsukamoto, Assemblyman Nao Takasugi and Congressman Robert
Matsui are mentioned often in her interview. Many years with the
League of Women Voters, holding various positions, including
California
State
presidency, was background and experience for subsequent
political career culminating two terms as Mayor of Sacramento.
MIS SERVED
OUR COUNTRY: COL. THOMAS SAKAMOTO
The
"MIS Served Our Country" book contains two oral
histories: of Hiroshi Tanabe and of Sakamoto. The portion on
Colonel Thomas T. Sakamoto (80), U. S. Army Retired of Saratoga,
California is mainly his speech delivered at the Florin Time of
Remembrance program, March 6, 1993. His 28-year distinguished
military career began February 1941 with the draft. He went
through
MIS
Language
School
, saw front line duty in the South Pacific with General
MacArthur, and was on board the USS Missouri in
Tokyo
Bay
for the Surrender/Peace ceremonies, August 1945. "Besides
fighting the enemy on the battlefield and discrimination at
home," he said, "the Nisei MIS soldiers had to contend
with discrimination in the ranks." The Nisei were not fully
recognized as to promotions, Purple Hearts earned, and for other
acts of courage and devotion to country.
ROY SATO
This oral
history contains seven pages of photos and 57 pages of text of
Sato (65), a Nisei. He was born in Stockton and family soon
moved to
Fresno
where he attended elementary and high school. They were forced
to relocate to Jerome and Rohwer Camps. After the camps, he went
into aircraft repair and air conditioning business after
resettlement in
Sacramento
. Community activities include Commander of VFW Post 8985, the
Methodist
Church
and
Asian
Community Center
.
KIYO SATO-VIACRUCIS
Book
consists of four pages of photos, 129 pages of text and a resume
in the appendix. She talks about many different jobs, many
educational and professional nursing experiences in many places
she resided--in Western United States,
Philippines
and
Japan
. She came from a family of eight siblings, which she helped to
raise, and her four adopted children. Being a woman was one
thing. But she is a Japanese American minority woman struggling
with acceptance. Much detail is brought out in the text.
Japanese Americans stayed close to each other and assisted each
other, especially during the return to
Florin
and resettlement period. She feels that the entire internment
experience makes one appreciate American citizenship and respect
for the Constitution.
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