From right: Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi with wife Hiroko Higuchi, Kyoko Oda and husband Kay Oda.
SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) adjourned the July 2 session of the State Assembly in memory of community leader Kyoko Nancy Oda, who passed away on May 14 at the age of 80.
“Kyoko was born in the Tule Lake concentration camp, where her family was held during World War II,” Muratsuchi said. “She grew up in Boyle Heights and graduated from Garfield High School, where she served as student body president. She earned a master’s degree in educational administration from Cal State Los Angeles and dedicated her career to serving students and families as an educator and school administrator in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
“Kyoko was a tireless community leader. She served as president of the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center and the Tuna Canyon Detention Station Coalition. A passionate advocate for social justice, she helped lead the effort to have the former Tuna Canyon Detention Station designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
“Kyoko’s legacy of service, compassion, and perseverance will continue to inspire future generations. She is survived by her beloved husband, Kay Oda, her family, and the many friends and community members whose lives she enriched. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.”
Oda was also involved in the efforts to preserve Historic Wintersburg in Huntington Beach and establish the World War II Camp Wall in Torrance. She transcribed and published her father Tatsuo Inouye’s writings in “Tule Lake Stockade Diary.”
A celebration of life was held on June 7 at Nishi Hongwanji in Little Tokyo.