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.