Pearl Mitsu Sonoda

Pearl Mitsu Sonoda (May 17, 1918 – March 4, 2015), was an American ichthyologist and biologist who was interned with her family in an American War Relocation Center during World War II because they had Japanese heritage. After her release, she joined the staff of the Field Museum.

Early life and family The third of four daughters, Pearl Mitsu Sonoda was born May 17, 1918, in Imperial, California, to Tomoji and Sachi Sonoda. Her father, Tomoji, was a Japanese-born immigrant to the United States who owned and operated an asparagus ranch. After a year of internment, Pearl's father, Tomoji, was able to join them at the Poston Camp. In 1943, herpetologist Karl P. Schmidt, allied with the Quaker's American Service Committee, sponsored the release of Sonoda so she could join him in his work at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

Later life and death Sonoda retired from the California Academy of Sciences in 1995 after almost 30 years of work. After her retirement she moved to Chicago, Illinois, to be closer to two of her sisters, Mary and Louise. In 2010, when Sonoda's health began to decline, she moved to Arvada, Colorado, to be closer to her third sister, Margaret. On March 4, 2015, Pearl Mitsu Sonoda died in Colorado at the age of 96.