Satsuki Ina’s memoir includes excerpts from her parents’ letters from the years they were imprisoned during WW II in a so-called “relocation center” for American citizens who had Japanese ancestors. Her parents never talked about it. While Ina knew that she was born in a prison, she didn’t know how brutal the conditions were until she read her parents’ papers after they died. This information helped her understand why her family had lived in fear of authority figures. Ina, who is a psychotherapist, decided to reveal her family’s history because she believes that sharing stories can help heal ancestral wounds.
Ina, Satsuki. The Poet and the Silk Girl: A Memoir of Love, Imprisonment, and Protest. Heyday, 2024, p. 248.