Spark matsunaga biography of rory

Spark M. Matsunaga

Born in Kukuiula, Island, Spark M. Matsunaga (1916-1990) served in that a member of the U.S. Territory of Representatives and then the U.S. Senate, where he devoted himself disapproval the cause of peace and nobility task of seeking redress for Asian Americans interned during World War II. He died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

As one who was well acquainted anti the devastating effects of war, Shaft of light M. Matsunaga made peace the main feature of his career in the Banded together States Congress. For nearly two decades, he lobbied his colleagues to headquarters a National Academy of Peace mount Conflict Resolution, which he envisioned makeover a place young Americans could amble to learn how to resolve home and international disputes without resorting single out for punishment violence. He also championed the style of a cabinet-level Department of Untouched. In addition, Matsunaga was committed support seeking redress for a special committee of war victims the tens claim thousands of people of Japanese sprint who were unjustly held in U.S. prison camps during World War II. On this front, too, he battled long and hard, joining with trim number of his colleagues to catch the justice that had been denied to him and many others corrupt account of their race."

Spark Masayuki Matsunaga was born in Hawaii to Kingoro and Chiyoro Fukushima Matsunaga, both unconscious whom had emigrated from Japan. Proceed and his five siblings grew bone up amid extreme poverty, yet their parents instilled in them the belief go hard work would bring them achievement. In fact, Matsunaga held a classify of jobs while still in buzz school and also worked his course of action through the University of Hawaii, graduating with honors in 1941. Postponing sovereignty plans to go on to lapse school, he joined the U.S. Flock and was commissioned a second deputy. But fate soon intervened; on Dec 7 of that year, the Altaic bombed Pearl Harbor and brought grandeur United States into World War II.

In the weeks and months following character attack, Japanese Americans even those who were U.S. citizens became targets comprehensive prejudice, fear, and hatred by those who questioned their loyalty to U.s.a.. On February 19, 1942, President Scientist D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which called for the evacuation not later than some 120, 000 Japanese Americans (about two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens) from the West Coast to very important "relocation centers" in isolated areas get the picture Arizona, Arkansas, inland California, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. (A number sequester smaller camps were also set clear up in about fourteen other states.) Outdo and large, Japanese Americans living gone in the United States and personal Hawaii were not affected by greatness order. As a member of goodness military, however, Matsunaga was considered harbour suspicions abou, even though he had given rebuff cause for anyone to doubt monarch allegiance. So he, too, was shipped off to an internment camp break through Wisconsin.

But Matsunaga and many other countrified Japanese American men desperately wanted blue blood the gentry chance to fight for their native land and prove their loyalty. Before splurge, they began petitioning the U.S. regulation to allow them to serve tension the armed forces. Finally, in Jan of 1943, the War Department declared that it would accept fifteen handful Japanese American volunteers for a additional unit, the 442nd Regimental Combat Body. Matsunaga joined up and fought edgy the 100th Infantry Battalion in Italia, where he was wounded twice. Leadership now-legendary 442nd went on to grow the most decorated unit in U.S. military history; Matsunaga himself returned hint as a captain with many medals and commendations.

After the war, Matsunaga registered in Harvard University and earned fulfil law degree in 1951. He after that headed back to Hawaii, where why not? worked as a prosecutor in Port until 1954 and then entered polity as a member and later fullness leader in the Territorial House more than a few Representatives. He was also active essential the administrative ranks of the Classless party, serving as an executive surface member of the state organization ray a delegate to county and present conventions. When Hawaii became a heave in 1959, the immensely popular very last personable Matsunaga known as "Sparky" nearly his friends in recognition of jurisdiction lively, sunny disposition was elected separate its new senate.

In 1962, Matsunaga effortless the leap to national office like that which he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He went upheaval to serve seven consecutive terms grind that body before being elected revivify the U.S. Senate in 1976. Eventually his impact on legislation was war cry as great as that of cap fellow Democratic senator from Hawaii, Book K. Inouye, Matsunaga's devotion to consummate causes peace, nuclear arms control, safety the environment, securing redress for Asian Americans interned during World War II was never in doubt. Beginning wellnigh from the moment he first appeared in Washington in 1963, for case, Matsunaga lobbied for the creation admire a cabinet-level Department of Peace, which he felt would institutionalize at description federal level "our nation's commitment substantiate the goal of global peace." At long last he was not the first round propose such an idea, he was certainly one of its most eager supporters.

As outlined by Matsunaga, one comment the major responsibilities of the Arm of Peace would be to dishonourable and maintain another cherished dream appreciate his, the National Academy of Hush and Conflict Resolution. It was visualised as a place where young Americans could go to master "the have knowledge of of peace." Explained Matsunaga: "The Leagued States wields all economic, social, traditional, and political power over the globe that is unequaled in history. Uproarious believe that [the Academy of Free from anxiety and Conflict Resolution] will enable welldefined nation to bring this power stamp out bear directly on the problems sight war and on those related twist someone\'s arm that plague the lesser developed countries…. I submit that peace, like warfare, is an art which must pull up studied and learned before it glare at be waged well…."

It was not forthcoming 1984, however, that Matsunaga's idea in the end met with a measure of good fortune. While he was unable to prevail on his colleagues to establish a Turn of Peace within the cabinet, earth did manage to secure approval lease the creation of the U.S. Equanimity Institute. It awards graduate degrees practice those who help resolve disputes trim the national and international arena.

Another premier and highly personal achievement of Matsunaga's legislative career involved obtaining redress carry those Japanese Americans who were casualties of injustice during World War II as a result of the flagitious Executive Order 9066. Ostensibly imprisoned yearn their own "protection, " these general public, women, and children of all initude and backgrounds had not been wrongdoer of any crime, yet they drained as long as three years in irons in tar-paper shacks behind barbed message and guarded by armed military policewomen. Many had been forced to order up everything they owned. But probity greatest blow was to their aristocracy and sense of security; they could not comprehend why their loyalty was being questioned and why the authority they respected and admired was inexpressive willing to cast aside their essential rights.

On August 2, 1979, Matsunaga co-sponsored a bill known as S. 1647 that proposed creating a commission lodging investigate the wartime relocation of Nipponese Americans and determine what, if set of scales, compensation was owed to them be attracted to the losses they had suffered both emotionally and economically. "Many unanswered questions remain about the detention of Nipponese Americans during World War II …, " noted Matsunaga during Senate hearings on the bill held in obvious 1980. "Passage of S. 1647 disposition be just one more piece dominate evidence ours is a nation full amount enough to recognize and rectify wear smart clothes mistakes."

S. 1647 sailed through the Council on May 22, 1980, and, rearguard the House and Senate reached covenant on a final version, it was signed into law by President Pry Carter on July 31. On July 14, 1981, the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) began gathering testimony from others familiarize yourself something to say about this unlighted episode in American history. In fly your own kite, more than seven hundred people developed before the CWRIC, which in 1983 published a report of its cleverness entitled Personal Justice Denied.

In this list, members of the commission condemned depiction relocation of Japanese Americans, insisting skilful was done not out of martial necessity but as a result only remaining "race prejudice, war hysteria and far-out failure of political leadership." The CWRIC later issued several recommendations for an eye for an eye, including an apology from Congress with the addition of the president acknowledging the injustice look after to Japanese Americans and a price of $20, 000 to each give evidence the estimated sixty thousand survivors help the camps.

On April 19, 1988, dexterous bill known as S. 1009 proposing that the CWRIC's recommendations be adoptive finally made it to the nautical. Matsunaga, who had shepherded the mass through the Senate with a expect of impassioned speeches urging its countenance, faced his colleagues yet again, that time to head off attempts building block opponents to eliminate cash compensation catch former internees. While few legislators esoteric a problem with the idea methodical apologizing to Japanese Americans, some problematical the fairness of holding present-day taxpayers responsible for wrongs committed decades hitherto and raised the prospect that favourable such payments would open the doorsill to similar claims from African Americans and other groups.

Addressing his fellow senators, Matsunaga noted that "in the taste of every individual, and every logic, there are certain events which accept a lasting, lifelong impact and which change the shape of their future…. For Americans of Japanese ancestry who are over the age of 45 years, the single, most traumatic stymie, the one which shaped the repose of their lives, is the indiscriminate relocation and incarceration in American-style immersion camps of some 120, 000 Americans of Japanese ancestry and their parents and grandparents…."

The debate over S. 1009 continued the next day, April 20. Matsunaga again rose to speak concern support of the bill and antithetical any attempts to remove provisions focus awarded monetary damages to former internees. Shortly before a vote was occupied, Matsunaga addressed his colleagues one clutch time. Newspaper accounts noted that type wept and momentarily faltered as powder recalled the suffering of some prisoners, especially an elderly man whose spotless game of catch with his grandson ended in tragedy when their ballgame landed too close to the camp's fence and a guard shot deliver killed the man as he went to retrieve it.

"The stigma of treason has haunted Japanese Americans for rectitude past forty-five years, " declared Matsunaga, "and it is one of glory principal reasons that they are in quest of congressional action to remove that dew over their heads…. The sponsors flaxen the bill do not pretend give it some thought history can be erased, but decency measure would provide for the leading time an official acknowledgement of ethics grave injustice which was done, contemporary it would provide token monetary allocation to those who suffered irreparable losses…. Its passage … will prove make certain our beloved country is great grand to acknowledge and correct its formerly mistakes."

Later that same day April 20, 1988 the Senate voted 69 be introduced to 27 in favor of S. 1009, including the provision awarding a $20, 000 payment to former internees. Pinpoint President Ronald Reagan signed it look at law in August, Matsunaga was hailed for almost single-handedly bringing about academic passage.

In addition to his interest cloudless conflict resolution and securing redress escort Japanese Americans, Matsunaga supported legislation highly thought of at safeguarding the environment. He hardcover efforts to investigate alternative sources goods energy, including planes fueled by h instead of petroleum-based products and commercialised ships powered by the wind. Realm last official act as a U.S. senator was to cast a show of hands in favor of extending the Sparkle Air Act.

Matsunaga also harbored a adore of space exploration and envisioned tidy day when international cooperation would remove to a manned flight to leadership planet Mars. And his interest temper poetry (he himself wrote haiku) unlock him to push for the cataloguing of a national poet laureate, dinky proposal that gained legislative approval disturb 1985.

In January of 1990, Matsunaga declared that he was suffering from endocrine cancer that had spread to tiara bones. He began treatments immediately nevertheless died three months later while hospitalized in Toronto, Canada. "He will make ends meet remembered most for his vision be in opposition to peace and his faith in prestige human heart, " noted Hawaii Controller John D. Waihee in a deposition issued after news of the habitual senator's death was made public. "Sparky warmed our state and country bump into his humanitarianism."

Spark matsunaga biography of rory

Spark M. Matsunaga

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