Yoshiko Uchida was born in Alameda, California, on November 24, 1921. She was the daughter of Takashi ("Dwight," 1884-1971), and Iku Umegaki Uchida (1893-1966) who were both Issei. Her father, Takashi, was a businessman who worked for Mitsui before he was interned. Her mother, Iku, who with Yoshika's father graduated from Doshisha University. She also had an older sister, Keiko ("Kay," 1918-2008, mother of former New York Times book critic Michiko Kakutani and married to mathematician Shizuo Kakutani).[3]
She attended Longfellow School in Berkeley and University High School in Oakland.[4] She graduated from high school in 2 1/2 years and enrolled at University of California, Berkeley.[3] In 1942, Uchida graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a B.A. in English, philosophy, and history. [4]
