First-time author honored in Sacramento
Kiyo Sato was the first of eight children born to a Japanese American family in Sacramento. Her parents grew strawberries and grapes. She was a student at Sacramento Junior College when World War II broke out.
In her book, Dandelion Through the Crack, Sato recalls the trauma of being forced to leave the family farm and ship out to a prison camp.
State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell is honoring 85-year-old Sato, a first-time author and winner of the William Saroyan International prize for nonfiction.
After the war, Sato eventually joined the Air Force, completing her college education in nursing and achieving the rank of captain. She eventually returned home from the service and married. Her four children grew up frequently visiting and working on their grandparents’ farm.
Sato belongs to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Nisei Post 8985. She and other post members have made a video and workbook for children about the Japanese American evacuation. "Lessons From Our Lifetime" received a grant from the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program in 1999.
-- Mary MacVean
Photo courtesy of Willow Valley Press
