Pictured: Kyoko and Kay Oda
Castle Rock Mountain, Tule Lake, California 2018
Kyoko Nancy Oda born on May 20, 1945 in Tule Lake Segregation Center, and returned after the war ended at age five months to Boyle Heights.
During the seventies, she enrolled at UCLA where she was deeply moved to fight the injustices that her family endured at the most notorious high security facility. She transcribed the Tule Lake stockade section of her father’s diary at night into English that was for originally for a class assignment.
Kyoko and her sister, Masako, met Professor Masumi Izumi from Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, serendipitously. The rare encounter was a dream come true. Masumi was willing to translate hunger strike section further that was written in kanji that is old Japanese in 2013.
Although more than fifty years had passed, Kyoko returned to her Alma mater to assist. UCLA’s Suyama Project published the translated work online with Martha Nakagawa, editor. Then she published the hardcover book that includes Masako’s disturbing artwork to illustrate it.
The grandchildren of Tatsuo and Yuriko Inouye will attend the 2024 Tule Lake Pilgrimage together to honor their memory.
Kyoko believes that she was born to share the story her father wrote and fight against injustices against anyone.
Press
Kyoko Nancy Oda born on May 20, 1945 in Tule Lake Segregation Center, and returned after the war ended at age five months to Boyle Heights.
During the seventies, she enrolled at UCLA where she was deeply moved to fight the injustices that her family endured at the most notorious high security facility. She transcribed the Tule Lake stockade section of her father’s diary at night into English that was for originally for a class assignment.
Kyoko and her sister, Masako, met Professor Masumi Izumi from Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, serendipitously. The rare encounter was a dream come true. Masumi was willing to translate hunger strike section further that was written in kanji that is old Japanese in 2013.
Although more than fifty years had passed, Kyoko returned to her Alma mater to assist. UCLA’s Suyama Project published the translated work online with Martha Nakagawa, editor. Then she published the hardcover book that includes Masako’s disturbing artwork to illustrate it.
The grandchildren of Tatsuo and Yuriko Inouye will attend the 2024 Tule Lake Pilgrimage together to honor their memory.
Kyoko believes that she was born to share the story her father wrote and fight against injustices against anyone.