Description

America is a nation of stories. Every American has traveled through time and space, and each journey is a unique story. In this series, we share the journeys of our fellow Americans, whether around the neighborhood, across the country, or across the world as we explore what it means to be American in the third century of our democracy.

This chapter in the series “My American Story”, features Ms. Kitty Sankey, a third generation Japanese American, born in Tokyo.  After graduating from Kubasaki High School, located on a U.S. military base in Okinawa, she attended the University of California in Los Angeles and received her bachelor’s degree.  She was a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District until her retirement in 2009.  In addition to her career as an educator, she has participated actively in the Japanese American community.  As a leader in the community she was a significant contributor to the fight for redress from the U.S. government on behalf of Japanese Americans detained in internment camps during World War II.  She has served numerous major organizations of the Japanese American community including positions as President of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California, Vice President of the Japanese Women’s Society of Southern California, Vice President of the Japanese American Optimist Club, and President of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) – Downtown Los Angeles Chapter. “