Mary Matsuda Gruenewald

Mary Matsuda Gruenewald (born 1925) is an American writer. She is best known for her autobiographical novel Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps, which details her own experiences as a Japanese American in World War II internment camps.[1]

Mary Matsuda Gruenewald
BornMary Matsuda
1925
NationalityAmerican
Alma materVashon Island High School
Home townVashon, Washington
Notable worksLooking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps

Biography

Early Life

Gruenewald grew up in the small community of Vashon Island in Washington state under idyllic circumstances. Her family owned a strawberry farm and attended a local Methodist congregation.

Internment Experience

Upon learning about the Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, her family destroyed their Japanese possessions.[2]

In May 1942, she and her family left their home and were placed in a series of camps, starting with Pinedale Assembly Center and progresssing through Tule Lake and Heart Mountain. She graduated from high school during camp. After transferring her parents to Minidoka to be closer to friends from Washington state, she left to join the Cadet Nurse Corps in Iowa.[2]

Postwar Life

After the war, Gruenewald lived in Seattle and worked in the nursing field. She met and married Charles Gruenewald, a minister.[3]

During the post-war years, she was reticent to discuss or write stories about her wartime experiences.[2]

However, in 1999, she decided to write down her experiences, primarily so that her children would know the details of her experience.[4] These were published in 2005 as Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps. Gruenewald was 80 years old at the time.[2]

In 2017, she received a diploma from Vashon Island High School, which she had attended prior to being interned.[1]

List of works
  • Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps (2005)
  • Becoming Mama-San: 80 Years of Wisdom (2012)

References
  1. Koenig, Ravenna (25 June 2017). "Graduating High School At 92". NPR. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  2. Niiya, Brian. "Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese-American Internment Camps (book)". Densho. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  3. "Mary Matsuda Gruenewald graduates from her high school – 74 years later". Christian Science Monitor. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  4. Broom, Jack (14 Feb 2012). "Carrying the pain for 70 years: Japanese Americans' internment". Seattle Times. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
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