Ina Sugihara (Japanese: 杉原 イナ,[1] 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.

[6][7][8] She studied at Long Beach Community College and the University of California, Berkeley.

[6] In March 1942, Sugihara moved to New York City to avoid being incarcerated during World War II due to her Japanese heritage.

[4][6] In 1943, Sugihara became a founding member of CORE's New York's branch.

[3][8] She assisted in organizing the Japanese American Citizens League's New York branch, which was JACL's first multiracial chapter [5][8] She was also active in the NAACP and wrote a piece titled "Our Stake in a Permanent FEPC" in 1945 for The Crisis.