Sumi Haru
| Sumi Haru | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Mildred Sevilla August 25, 1939 Orange, New Jersey, United States |
| Died | October 16, 2014 (aged 75) North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1969–1981, 2008–2014 |
| Website | sumiharu |
Sumi Haru (also known as Sumi Sevilla Haru; August 25, 1939 – October 16, 2014) was an American film and television actress, best known for such films and television shows as Krakatoa, East of Java,MASH, The Beverly Hillbillies and Hill Street Blues. She served as interim president of Screen Actors Guild in 1995, the first and to-date only woman of color to hold the position.
Haru was born Mildred Sevilla in 1939 at Orange, New Jersey to Filipino immigrants. After changing her name to Sumi Haru when launching her acting career, she became involved with the film and television labor movement to address issues concerning the lack of opportunities and roles for Asians.
Haru was a board member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) beginning in 1974, and also served multiple terms as the national recording secretary and first vice president.
Haru was a co-founder of SAG's Ethnic Employment Opportunities Committee in 1971 and helped negotiate affirmative action clauses into contracts. In 1995, Haru became a national vice president of the AFL-CIO. Her six-year term as a national vice president marked the first time an Asian American has served on the AFL-CIO's executive council. She was president and co-founder of the Association of Asian Pacific American Artists, executive board member of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and co-chair of the Rainbow Coalition Commission on Fairness in the Media. In 2009, Haru was honored with SAG's Ralph Morgan Award for distinguished service to SAG's Hollywood Division.
Her autobiography, Iron Lotus: Memoirs of Sumi Sevilla Haru (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, October 9, 2012; ISBN ), was published in 2012. The following year, she was elected for a two-year term as a member of the first elected national board of the merged SAG-AFTRA.
Haru died in North Hollywood, aged 75, on October 16, 2014. She had been battling emphysema.
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