Mary Matsuda-Gruenewald Internment Camp

From the years 1942 to 1945, The United States Of America interned over 115,000 Japanese and Japanese-Americans. In 1941, The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, this was the start of what was called The Pacific War during World War II. About 3 months later, President Roosevelt signed an order that ordered all people of Japanese ancestry living on the west coast, Oregon, Washington, and California, to be relocated to internment camps inside of the U.S.. Before Roosevelt signed the order, most Japanese people living in the U.S. had their houses search by government officials. When word got around that the government was doing this, many of the Japanese burned and hid everything that linked them to Japan. After Roosevelt signed the order, The Japanese received letters and …show more content…
Her and her family left their home on Vashon Island, when she was in her late high school years, to go to these internment camps. They went to multiple internment camps during this time and experienced many difficulties along the way. Mary graduated high school in these camps, which was very hard on her. She had to leave behind her friends and her home for what felt like forever. When the survey got to their camp, Mary’s family decided to answer yes to it, and eventually moved to an internment camp with other people who answered yes. Mary's brother, Yoneichi, got drafted to go to war, and when he left, Mary decided to become a nurse. She went to school, which left her parents alone at the internment camp. At the end, Yoneichi came home from war and they went back to their farm. Mary kept going to school and ended up becoming a certified nurse. She didn't speak of her time in the camps until she was in her later years, for they brang up many bad and emotional memories. She went to many school on the west coast, speaking about her experiences and how it changed her and her