CORVALLIS, Ore. - An Oregon State University graduate who was born in a California detainment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II will return to campus on Friday, Feb. 19, where she will show an award-winning documentary she produced about her parents.

Satsuki Ina is executive producer of "From a Silk Cocoon," which examines the life of her mother and father who were isolated in separate camps during the war. The film, which received a regional Emmy and several other awards, will be shown at the Joyce Powell Leadership/Journey Room beginning at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public; a discussion will follow the film.

Ina, who graduated from OSU's counseling program, is professor emeritus of education at California State University-Sacramento. A licensed psychotherapist, she specializes in cross-cultural counseling and has worked extensively with Japanese-Americans who, like herself, were children of prison camp detainees.

Ina also has conducted research on the long-term impacts of internment and her previous film, "Children of the Camps, was broadcast nationally on PBS.

"From a Silk Cocoon" not only examines the Japanese-American internment experience, it looks at issues of loyalty, renunciation and racial profiling.

Ina attended OSU's 2008 commencement ceremony, at which the university recognized more than 40 former students of Japanese ancestry who were forced to leave school during World War II. The university presented many of the survivors, or their descendants, with honorary degrees.

The showing of "From a Silk Cocoon" is sponsored by OSU's Japanese-American Student Association, the Office of Student Affairs, and Intercultural Student Services.

Source: 

Sandy Tsuneyoshi, 541-737-9033

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