Satsuki Ina, PhD, is awarded an APA Presidential Citation for her dedication and lifelong achievement for the Japanese American community in researching and treating the long-term health implications of those individuals who were wrongly incarcerated during World War II.
Born in what was euphemistically referred to as the "Tule Lake Segregation Center," Ina's own incarceration experience informed her work as a psychologist and her efforts to publish books, produce award-winning documentaries by bearing witness to the legacy of the unjust and forced relocation of 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes on the West Coast and into a series of camps without legal due process. Her psychotherapy practice and work has helped thousands of Japanese Americans cope with their family incarceration experience, and as an emeritus professor at Sacramento State University, she leads workshops and healing circles around the country to help individuals speak up for themselves and for others who do not have a voice. Her leadership with the group Tsuru for Solidarity draws parallels with the Japanese American incarceration and the current treatment of immigrants and refugees seeking safety in the United States. The American Psychological Association is pleased to recognize her work and her leadership of Tsuru for Solidarity and we salute her for providing solidarity with other communities that have experienced forced removal, detention, deportation and the separation of families.