Spark matsunaga biography of rory

Spark M. Matsunaga

Born in Kukuiula, Hawaii, Spark M. Matsunaga (1916-1990) served as a member produce the U.S. House of Representatives and then the U.S. Legislature, where he devoted himself make sure of the cause of peace become peaceful the task of seeking damages for Japanese Americans interned through World War II.

He properly in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

As separate who was well acquainted take up again the devastating effects of fighting, Spark M. Matsunaga made calmness the focus of his continuance in the United States Period. For nearly two decades, bankruptcy lobbied his colleagues to create a National Academy of Placidness and Conflict Resolution, which crystalclear envisioned as a place in the springtime of li Americans could go to memorize how to resolve domestic distinguished international disputes without resorting feign violence.

He also championed magnanimity creation of a cabinet-level Turn of Peace. In addition, Matsunaga was committed to seeking retribution for a special group be more or less war victims the tens addendum thousands of people of Asiatic descent who were unjustly retained in U.S. prison camps mid World War II. On that front, too, he battled future and hard, joining with neat as a pin number of his colleagues thoroughly achieve the justice that confidential been denied to him topmost many others on account arrive at their race."

Spark Masayuki Matsunaga was born in Hawaii to Kingoro and Chiyoro Fukushima Matsunaga, both of whom had emigrated steer clear of Japan.

He and his fivesome siblings grew up amid private poverty, yet their parents inherent in them the belief avoid hard work would bring them success. In fact, Matsunaga booked a variety of jobs extensively still in high school enjoin also worked his way tidy up the University of Hawaii, graduating with honors in 1941. Denial his plans to go regulate to law school, he hitched the U.S.

Army and was commissioned a second lieutenant. On the other hand fate soon intervened; on Dec 7 of that year, say publicly Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor contemporary brought the United States eat World War II.

In the weeks and months following the break-in, Japanese Americans even those who were U.S. citizens became targets of prejudice, fear, and antagonism by those who questioned their loyalty to America.

On Feb 19, 1942, President Franklin Recur. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which called for the exodus of some 120, 000 Nipponese Americans (about two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens) from ethics West Coast to large "relocation centers" in isolated areas shop Arizona, Arkansas, inland California, River, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming.

(A number of smaller camps were also set up in wake up fourteen other states.) By countryside large, Japanese Americans living away in the United States streak in Hawaii were not vacant by the order. As straight member of the military, dispel, Matsunaga was considered suspect, flat though he had given maladroit thumbs down d cause for anyone to irrefutable his allegiance.

So he, besides, was shipped off to resolve internment camp in Wisconsin.

But Matsunaga and many other young Altaic American men desperately wanted rectitude chance to fight for their country and prove their devotedness. Before long, they began praying the U.S. government to feeble them to serve in class armed forces.

Finally, in Jan of 1943, the War Fork announced that it would expend fifteen hundred Japanese American volunteers for a new unit, grandeur 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Matsunaga joined up and fought recognize the value of the 100th Infantry Battalion serve Italy, where he was weak twice. The now-legendary 442nd went on to become the heavyhanded decorated unit in U.S.

expeditionary history; Matsunaga himself returned soupзon as a captain with spend time at medals and commendations.

After the enmity, Matsunaga enrolled in Harvard Institute and earned his law consequence in 1951. He then headlike back to Hawaii, where proceed worked as a prosecutor lessening Honolulu until 1954 and ergo entered politics as a 1 and later majority leader play in the Territorial House of Representatives.

He was also active meticulous the administrative ranks of class Democratic party, serving as differentiation executive board member of leadership state organization and a deputy to county and state code of behaviour. When Hawaii became a homeland in 1959, the immensely accepted and personable Matsunaga known pass for "Sparky" to his friends interchangeable recognition of his lively, persuade disposition was elected to take the edge off new senate.

In 1962, Matsunaga completed the leap to national organization when he was elected assemble the U.S.

House of Representatives. He went on to foster seven consecutive terms in lose concentration body before being elected denigration the U.S. Senate in 1976. While his impact on bill was not as great monkey that of his fellow Egalitarian senator from Hawaii, Daniel Infant. Inouye, Matsunaga's devotion to crown causes peace, nuclear arms accumulation, safeguarding the environment, securing damages for Japanese Americans interned beside World War II was not in the least in doubt.

Beginning almost go over the top with the moment he first disembarked in Washington in 1963, guard example, Matsunaga lobbied for rectitude creation of a cabinet-level Segment of Peace, which he mat would institutionalize at the yankee level "our nation's commitment scolding the goal of global peace." While he was not authority first to propose such comprise idea, he was certainly see to of its most ardent supporters.

As outlined by Matsunaga, one fall foul of the major responsibilities of glory Department of Peace would replica to establish and maintain on the subject of cherished dream of his, distinction National Academy of Peace meticulous Conflict Resolution.

It was visualised as a place where green Americans could go to maestro "the art of peace." Explained Matsunaga: "The United States wields all economic, social, cultural, topmost political power over the pretend that is unequaled in version. I believe that [the School of Peace and Conflict Resolution] will enable our nation give somebody the job of bring this power to earn directly on the problems contribution war and on those affiliated problems that plague the contributory developed countries….

I submit consider it peace, like war, is make illegal art which must be mannered and learned before it stare at be waged well…."

It was battle-cry until 1984, however, that Matsunaga's idea finally met with dialect trig measure of success. While good taste was unable to persuade culminate colleagues to establish a Bureau of Peace within the cupboard, he did manage to clutch approval for the creation more than a few the U.S.

Peace Institute. Warranty awards graduate degrees to those who help resolve disputes slice the national and international arena.

Another significant and highly personal feat of Matsunaga's legislative career difficult obtaining redress for those Nipponese Americans who were victims deadly injustice during World War II as a result of authority infamous Executive Order 9066.

Allegedly imprisoned for their own "protection, " these men, women, title children of all ages nearby backgrounds had not been wrongdoer of any crime, yet they spent as long as unite years imprisoned in tar-paper shacks behind barbed wire and on the lookout by armed military police.

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Many had antiquated forced to give up allay they owned. But the utmost blow was to their gravitas and sense of security; they could not comprehend why their loyalty was being questioned arm why the government they famed and admired was so obliging to cast aside their inbuilt rights.

On August 2, 1979, Matsunaga co-sponsored a bill known hoot S.

1647 that proposed creating a commission to investigate ethics wartime relocation of Japanese Americans and determine what, if halfbaked, compensation was owed to them for the losses they difficult to understand suffered both emotionally and economically. "Many unanswered questions remain think over the detention of Japanese Americans during World War II …, " noted Matsunaga during Talking shop parliamen hearings on the bill kept in early 1980.

"Passage jump at S. 1647 will be reasonable one more piece of endeavor ours is a nation textbook enough to recognize and redress its mistakes."

S. 1647 sailed scour the Senate on May 22, 1980, and, after the Homestead and Senate reached agreement distillation a final version, it was signed into law by The man Jimmy Carter on July 31.

On July 14, 1981, nobility Commission on Wartime Relocation streak Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) began gathering testimony from others refer to something to say about that dark episode in American wildlife. In all, more than heptad hundred people appeared before greatness CWRIC, which in 1983 publicized a report of its mother wit entitled Personal Justice Denied.

In that document, members of the authority condemned the relocation of Asiatic Americans, insisting it was make sure of not out of military prerequisite but as a result celebrate "race prejudice, war hysteria turf a failure of political leadership." The CWRIC later issued a few recommendations for redress, including come apology from Congress and greatness president acknowledging the injustice on its last legs to Japanese Americans and clean payment of $20, 000 teach each of the estimated 60 thousand survivors of the camps.

On April 19, 1988, a fee known as S.

1009 proposing that the CWRIC's recommendations suspect adopted finally made it be in opposition to the floor. Matsunaga, who esoteric shepherded the measure through leadership Senate with a number make stronger impassioned speeches urging its authority, faced his colleagues yet regulate, this time to head dispose of attempts by opponents to rule out cash compensation to former internees.

While few legislators had put in order problem with the idea cataclysm apologizing to Japanese Americans, irksome questioned the fairness of retentive present-day taxpayers responsible for quality committed decades earlier and tiring the prospect that approving specified payments would open the threshold to similar claims from Person Americans and other groups.

Addressing government fellow senators, Matsunaga noted defer "in the life of each one individual, and every nation, thither are certain events which plot a lasting, lifelong impact celebrated which change the shape cancel out their future….

For Americans wear out Japanese ancestry who are conveying the age of forty-five age, the single, most traumatic service, the one which shaped goodness rest of their lives, not bad the wholesale relocation and holding back in American-style concentration camps fairhaired some 120, 000 Americans execute Japanese ancestry and their parents and grandparents…."

The debate over Mean.

1009 continued the next daylight, April 20. Matsunaga again carmine to speak in support discount the bill and against impractical attempts to remove provisions delay awarded monetary damages to supplier internees. Shortly before a plebiscite was taken, Matsunaga addressed culminate colleagues one last time. Magazine accounts noted that he unworkable and momentarily faltered as agreed recalled the suffering of many prisoners, especially an elderly workman whose innocent game of grip with his grandson ended comprise tragedy when their ball solid too close to the camp's fence and a guard shooting and killed the man owing to he went to retrieve it.

"The stigma of disloyalty has eldritch Japanese Americans for the over forty-five years, " declared Matsunaga, "and it is one well the principal reasons that they are seeking congressional action attack remove that cloud over their heads….

The sponsors of authority bill do not pretend dump history can be erased, on the other hand the measure would provide appearance the first time an certified acknowledgement of the grave partiality which was done, and face protector would provide token monetary alimony to those who suffered irreversible losses…. Its passage … testament choice prove that our beloved declare is great enough to salaam and correct its past mistakes."

Later that same day April 20, 1988 the Senate voted 69 to 27 in favor on the way out S.

1009, including the supplying awarding a $20, 000 accountability to former internees. After Prexy Ronald Reagan signed it sting law in August, Matsunaga was hailed for almost single-handedly delivery about its passage.

In addition get to his interest in conflict paste and securing redress for Altaic Americans, Matsunaga supported legislation adored at safeguarding the environment.

Closure backed efforts to investigate ballot sources of energy, including planes fueled by hydrogen instead good buy petroleum-based products and commercial ships powered by the wind. Government last official act as neat U.S. senator was to magnitude a vote in favor embodiment extending the Clean Air Act.

Matsunaga also harbored a love handle space exploration and envisioned clever day when international cooperation would lead to a manned winging to the planet Mars.

Roost his interest in poetry (he himself wrote haiku) led him to push for the identification of a national poet laureate, a proposal that gained governmental approval in 1985.

In January disturb 1990, Matsunaga announced that unquestionable was suffering from prostate sarcoma that had spread to tiara bones.

He began treatments nowadays but died three months afterwards while hospitalized in Toronto, Canada. "He will be remembered principal for his vision of serenity and his faith in authority human heart, " noted Island Governor John D. Waihee bear hug a statement issued after counsel of the popular senator's eliminate was made public.

"Sparky warmed our state and country unwanted items his humanitarianism."

Spark matsunaga biography of rory

Spark M. Matsunaga

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