Renowned Author, Psychotherapist and Filmmaker Dr. Satsuki Ina to Speak at Las Positas College

Dr. Satsuki Ina was born in 1944 in the Tule Lake Segregation Center, one of the most controversial incarceration camps used to detain Japanese Americans during World War II. More than 80 years later, she continues to ask a question that resonates far beyond that moment in history: What does it mean to inherit trauma, and what does it take to heal it?

As part of the Las Positas College President’s Speaker Series, Dr. Ina will discuss those questions on Monday, May 4, 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Mertes Theater, Building 4000, on the Las Positas College campus in Livermore. The event will feature a public conversation centered on her memoir, The Poet and the Silk Girl, offering insight into personal and collective histories of resilience, memory, and healing.

A psychotherapist, filmmaker, and nationally recognized advocate, Dr. Ina has spent decades documenting the psychological and intergenerational impact of incarceration. Her work bridges personal narrative and public history, connecting the experiences of Japanese American families during WWII to broader conversations about civil liberties, identity, and justice today.

Her memoir, The Poet and the Silk Girl, traces her family’s story through displacement, resistance, and resilience. In it, Dr. Ina offers a deeply human account of a chapter of American history that continues to shape the present.

“Dr. Ina’s story challenges us to confront not only what happened, but what it means now,” said Dr. Foster, President of Las Positas College. “This is about memory, accountability, and the role education plays in ensuring these histories are neither forgotten nor repeated.”

The event will take place from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Mertes Theater (Building 4000) on the Las Positas College campus in Livermore. The program is free and open to the public. This President’s Speaker Series event is presented by Uncle Credit Union and the Las Positas College Foundation.

Event Details

Who: Dr. Satsuki Ina, author of The Poet and the Silk Girl

What: President’s Speaker Series event and public conversation

When: May 4, 2026 | 2:00–4:00 p.m.

Where: Mertes Theater, Building 4000, Las Positas College, Livermore

RSVP for this free event at: bit.ly/PSS_Satsuki_Ina. For more information, contact Kenneth Cooper, Executive Director, LPC Foundation, at kcooper@laspositascollege.edu.


Image description: Image depicts a flier with the Las Positas College logo and Uncle Credit Union logo as well as text reading "President's Speaker Series - Featured Guest Dr. Satsukina." Flier depicts location of the event as Mertes Theater in Building 4000 at Las Positas College and the date/time as May 4, 2026 from 2:00PM-4:00PM. There is a QR code to RSVP linked to bit.ly/PSS_Satsuki_Ina.
 

About Las Positas College

Las Positas College is a nationally recognized public community college located in Livermore, California. In the 2026 Niche Best Colleges rankings, Las Positas College was named the #2 Best Community College in the Bay Area, #2 Best Community College in California, and #4 Best Community College in America, reflecting excellence in academic quality, affordability, student outcomes, and overall student experience.



The college offers a wide range of transfer, career technical, and certificate programs designed to support student success, workforce development, and lifelong learning. Las Positas College is known for strong university transfer pathways, innovative career education, and a learning-centered environment grounded in equity, access, and sustainability.