Wada, Takako (Taxie), 1921-2016

Takako "Taxi" Wada (née Kusunoki) (1921-2016) was a writer, editor, and activist whose career reflected her commitment to ensuring Asian American civil rights in the United States. Born in Colusa, California, Takako was incarcerated with her mother and two sisters at the Granada War Relocation Center ("Camp Amache") in Colorado in 1942. As a young adult she spent two years in the Women's Army Corps, worked as a journalist and, studied painting in the studio of Fernand Ledger in Paris on the G.I. Bill of Rights. She was an active supporter of the redress for Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II. In 1981 she closely followed the public hearings held by the Commission for Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians all across the country. During this time Takako collected testimonies, conducted research, and edited personal statements all pertaining to the hearings, with particular attention paid to those held in Washington D.C., New York, and California. Serving as the English editor for the Japanese American newspaper New York Nicibei, Takako nurtured and supported topics concerning Asian American rights, women's rights, community service, and arts movements.