she has worked to promote inclusivity especially during AAPI Heritage month.

Her countless guest-starring roles included The Closer (as Kathy Tao.”One of her early roles was in Luis Valdezs I Dont Have to Show You No Stinking Badges at Los Angeles Theater Center in 1986.

Her stage work spanned three decades and included New Mexico Repertory Theatre.We enjoyed every day we got to work together.Joanne Woodward and Cicely Tyson.

including Steel Magnolias with an all-Asian cast in 2013.She is survived by siblings Linda Hayashi and Steven Yasutake.

At a mini-convention benefiting the Japanese American Collections at CSU Sacramento.

Karen Huie (second from left) and Dian Kobayashi (right) — with playwright Wakako Yamauchi in 2013.holds an MFA in creative writing and writing for the performing arts from UC Riverside and a masters in secondary English education.

Patsy Takemoto Mink of Hawaii (1927-2002).Her acting credits include the TV series Adjunct and Tiny Laughs.

Kusatsus film credits include Midway.An advocate for union and labor issues.