Ina Sugihara

Ina Sugihara (杉原 イナ, September 7, 1919 – September 16, 2004) was a civil rights activist who co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality's (CORE) New York chapter and the Japanese American Citizens League's (JACL) New York branch, which was JACL's first multiracial chapter.

Sugihara was a Nisei born in Las Animas, Colorado on September 7, 1919, to William Bonsaku and Takeyo Sugihara, who were both Japanese immigrants. She studied at Long Beach Community College and the University of California, Berkeley. In March 1942, Sugihara moved to New York City to avoid being incarcerated during World War II due to her Japanese heritage. In 1943, Sugihara became a founding member of CORE's New York's branch. Sugihara emphasized cross-cultural solidarity in her activism. She assisted in organizing the Japanese American Citizens League's New York branch, which was JACL's first multiracial chapter She was also active in the NAACP and wrote a piece titled "Our Stake in a Permanent FEPC" in 1945 for The Crisis.

Sugihara died in White Plains on September 16, 2004.