Mitsuye Yamada facts for kids

Mitsuye Yamada (born July 5, 1923) is a Japanese American poet, writer, and activist. She is known for speaking out about the unfair imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II. She was one of the first Asian American women writers to share these important stories.

Early Life and Family

Mitsuye Yamada was born in Fukuoka, Japan. Her parents, Jack and Hide Yasutake, were first-generation Japanese Americans. They lived in Seattle, Washington. Mitsuye's mother was visiting family in Japan when Mitsuye was born.

Mitsuye lived with a family in Japan until she was three years old. Then, a friend of her father's brought her back to Seattle. When she was nine, she returned to Japan for 18 months to live with her grandparents. After that, she spent the rest of her childhood in Seattle. Her family lived in Beacon Hill, a neighborhood with many Asian families. She graduated from Cleveland High School. She received her diploma while she was held at the Puyallup Assembly Center.

Life During World War II

When World War II began, Mitsuye's father, Jack Yasutake, was wrongly arrested. He was suspected of being an "enemy alien" because of his Japanese heritage. Like many other Japanese Americans, he was arrested without proof. He was later found innocent after the war. Jack worked as a translator and led a poetry club.

In 1942, the U.S. government issued Executive Order 9066. This order forced many Japanese Americans to leave their homes. Mitsuye and her family were among them. They were first held at the Puyallup Assembly Center. Later, they were moved to the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho. These were like prison camps.

Life After the Camps

Mitsuye and her brother Mike were allowed to leave the camp. They showed their loyalty to the United States. Both of them went to the University of Cincinnati. Mike was later asked to leave because of sensitive research happening on campus. However, Mitsuye was able to continue her studies.

In 1950, Mitsuye married Yoshikazu Yamada. They had four children together. They also have seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Mitsuye became a U.S. citizen in 1955. She considers herself Nisei, which means she is a second-generation Japanese American. She celebrated her 100th birthday on July 5, 2023.

Education and Writing Career

Mitsuye started her college education at the University of Cincinnati. In 1945, she moved to New York University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Art in 1947. In 1953, she received a Master's degree in English Literature from the University of Chicago. She began teaching English at Cypress College in 1968. She retired in 1989 as a Professor of English.

Mitsuye wrote her first book, Camp Notes and Other Poems, during and after her time in the internment camp. It was published in 1976. This book tells the story of Japanese Americans during the war. Mitsuye wrote it to encourage Asian American women to speak up. She wanted them to challenge cultural ideas that expected them to be silent.

Her book Camp Notes and Other Poems follows a timeline. It starts with the "Evacuation" from Seattle. It moves through life in the camp and ends with poems about moving to Cincinnati. The book shows the unfair treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Mitsuye wrote it to raise awareness about this discrimination. She also wanted to encourage deeper discussions about these issues.

In 1981, she wrote two essays for the book This Bridge Called My Back: Radical Writings from Women of Color. One essay, "Invisibility is an Unnatural Disaster," talks about being both Asian and a woman. The other, "Asian Pacific American Women and Feminism," encourages women of color to create their own feminist goals. That same year, Mitsuye and Nellie Wong appeared in a TV documentary. It was called "Mitsuye and Nellie: Two Asian-American Woman Poets." The film used poetry to share the history of Asian Americans.

In 1982, she received an award called the Vesta Award from the Los Angeles Woman's Building.

Her book Desert Run: Poems and Stories also explores her experiences in the internment camp. In this book, Mitsuye looks at her heritage. She finds that her identity is a mix of Japanese and American cultures. Some poems in this book also discuss issues like domestic violence against women. This shows that Mitsuye also wrote about women's rights.

At 96 years old, Mitsuye Yamada released her latest book. It is called Full Circle: New and Selected Poems.

Her Important Books

• 1976 – Camp Notes and Other Poems
• 1981 – Mitsuye and Nellie: Two Asian-American Woman Poets
• 1989 – Desert Run: Poems and Stories
• 1992 – Camp Notes and Other Poems (2nd edition)
• 2003 – Three Asian American Writers Speak Out on Feminism
• 2019 – Full Circle: New and Selected Poems

Awards and Recognition

Mitsuye Yamada has received many awards for her writing and activism:

• 1980 – Orange County Arts Alliance Literary Arts Award.
• 1982 – Vesta Award for Writing, Woman's Building of Los Angeles.
• 1983 – Resource Scholar, Multicultural Women's Institute, University of Chicago.
• 1984 – Writer's Fellowship, Yaddo Artist Colony.
• 1984 – Award for Contribution to the Status of Women from Women For: Orange County.
• 1985 – Women's Network Alert Literature Award.
• 1987 – Distinguished Teacher Award from North Orange County Community College District.
• 1987 – Award for contributions to ethnic studies from MELUS.
• 1990-1991 – Woman of Achievement Award from the Santiago Ranch Foundation.
• 1992 – Jesse Bernard Wise Women Award from the Center for Women's Policy Studies.
• 1995 – "Write On, Women!" award from the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research.
• 1997 – Give Women Voice Award—during International Women's Day, U.S.A.
• 2007 – KCET Local Hero of the Year for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
• 2009 – Honorary Doctorate, Simmons College Boston.

Boards and Activism

Mitsuye Yamada served on the national board of Amnesty International for two terms. This organization works to protect human rights around the world.