341:, where the U.S. government apologized for the internment of Japanese Americans; it stated that the internment was a "grave injustice to both citizens and permanent residents of Japanese ancestry", and granted each detainee US$ 20,000 for "the incalculable losses in education and job training, all of which resulted in significant human suffering … for these fundamental violations of basic civil liberties and constitutional rights of these individuals" Mary Tsukamoto lived by the motto that "never again" should citizens lose their fundamental rights.
337:; its purpose was: "To help ensure that all the citizens of the United States have the opportunity to learn about the Japanese internment experience, as well as the courage, resilience, and patriotism of the people interned." She developed an exhibit on internment at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C for the bicentennial celebration of the U.S. Constitution. Her daughter, Marielle, said that one of her mother's proudest moments came when President Ronald Reagan signed House Resolution 442, the
253:, where they worked on a farm that grew strawberries and grapes, although her parents were not allowed to own land because they were Japanese-born. She attended Florin Grammar School, which was segregated at the time. When she was disqualified from participating in a high school oratorical contest because she was a child of an immigrant, her teacher, Mable Barron, coached her for outside contests, and later helped her gain admission and a scholarship to the
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citizen. She created this curriculum as a way to shed light on the discrimination that the
Japanese endured during World War II, and to enrich their knowledge of American history. Her daughter, Marielle, described this work of her mother's as a way to "tie this story to the Constitution. It’s every citizen’s responsibility to make sure our own civil rights and someone else’s rights are not denied."
33:
284:. She said that she was shocked that human beings were fenced in like animals, and that they were no longer free. The National Women's History Project wrote, "the hardship and humiliation of the internment experience fueled much of Mary’s passion for justice as a teacher, community leader, and civil rights activist."
332:
Tsukamoto's growing discontent over the treatment of
Japanese Americans in World War II played a major role in her quest for redress. In 1981, she testified in the Congressional hearings by the United States Commission on Wartime Internment and Relocation of Civilians, and, in 1987, she published the
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We saw all these people behind the fence, looking out, hanging onto the wire, and looking out because they were anxious to know who was coming in. But I will never forget the shocking feeling that human beings were behind this fence like animals . And we were going to also lose our freedom and walk
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In 2003, her Time of
Remembrance Program moved from the Elk Grove district office to the California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts where it shows as a seasonal exhibit tour. In 2006, about 6,500 fifth graders studied her Time of Remembrance curriculum. where workshops and special exhibit
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with a
Bachelor of Arts in education; she was a teacher for 25 years, and returned to Elk Grove district as an administrator where she retired in 2001. She continues to carry on Mary's work in internment education, and serves on the board of directors for the National Women's History Project.
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In 1983, Tsukamoto launched the Time of
Remembrance program, which was a way to bring Elk Grove students into contact with former internees. The students listened to stories from Japanese Internment camp victims, looked at photographs and artifacts, and learned what it means to be an American
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as a third grade teacher. She said that in her first year, the children were "climbing out the windows". She taught in the district for 26 years, proving to be a faculty member with a passion for education. After retiring in 1976, she continued working with schools and brought students of all
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ethnicities together. She directed a
Japanese cultural heritage program called Jan Ken Po Gakko, which were similar to the Japanese language schools established before the War. She also organized lectures and displays; in 1994, she helped the
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create a library collection called The
Japanese American Archival Collection (JAAC), where she provided " an initial gift of photographs, documents and artifacts" which has since grown to over 4,000 original items from over 200 donors.
217:, after the United States entered World War II. She developed a program about the internment period that is part of the California state curriculum for fifth grade history and a California Museum of History tour exhibit. She worked for
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to get her teaching credential while working as a substitute teacher. In 1949, She became one of the first certificated
Japanese-American teachers by joining Florin Elementary School in the
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inside of that gate and find ourselves…cooped up there…when the gates were shut, we knew that we had lost something that was very precious; that we were no longer free.
276:. She taught the children there at a makeshift summer school, and also taught basic English and public speaking to the adults. In October, they were relocated to an
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in the
Vintage Park area of South Sacramento. The school was dedicated "in her honor as a tribute to Mary’s work in establishing cultural and educational programs."
298:, to join them. After President Roosevelt lifted the ban on individuals of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast, they returned to their farm in Florin in 1945.
209:, for 26 years, and was described as having a passion to teach children how to learn from experience. The daughter of Japanese parents, she was relocated to an
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In 1943, Tsukamoto's brother-in-law and husband were permitted to leave the camp to take jobs. Mary and
Marielle were released in November 1943, and moved to
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quit his job and managed the Tsukamoto grape farm. He paid the mortgage and the taxes and saved the profits until the Tsukamoto's were released in 1945.
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in Washington DC, where she developed an exhibit on internment for the Constitution's bicentennial. In March 2006, she was posthumously recognized as a
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961:(2006-03-16) "Voice from the past: Elk Grove teacher honored as historical figure." The Sacramento Bee Retrieved 2011-10-16 (general onefile)
201:(January 17, 1915 - January 6, 1998) was a Japanese American educator, cultural historian, and civil rights activist. She had taught in the
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Tsukamoto was encouraged by Isabell Jackson, the principal of her daughter's school, to pursue a teaching career. She went to
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The California State Senate recognized her as a Notable Californian. In March 2006, she was one of ten women recognized as a
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Chalkboard Champions: Twelve Remarkable Teachers Who Educated America's Disenfranchised Students
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Japanese American educator, cultural historian, and civil rights activist (1915–1998)
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civil liberties, and played a pivotal role in the grassroots effort that led to the
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The Tsukamoto family did not lose their grape farm because a local farmer named
828:"Painful childhood memory: Daughter keeps mother's legacy alive with Web site"
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Congressional Record, V. 152, Pt. 11, July 13, 2006 to July 24, 2006, Part 11
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272:, Tsukamoto, her husband Al, and daughter Marielle, were sent to the
1026:"A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution"
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594:"A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution"
503:"Women's History Month - 2006 Honorees - Mary Tsukamoto (1915-1998)"
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924:"'Time of Remembrance' program given school board recognition"
723:. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 67.
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In 1992, the Mary Tsukamoto Elementary School opened in the
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1944 Mary Tsukamoto with her daughter Marielle. Courtesy of
663:"Japanese American Internee Data File: Tsuruko M Tsukamoto"
942:"National Women's History Project - Board of Directors"
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Her daughter, Marielle Tsukamoto, graduated from The
619:"Elk Grove woman honored for dedication to teaching"
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American civil rights activists of Japanese descent
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internmentarchives.com; accessed 19 September 2006.
777:"TIME OF REMEMBRANCE - January 28 - March 22, 2013"
1028:. Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
596:. Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
754:. Florin JACL - Japanese American Citizens League
447:"Graduating students at Florin elementary school"
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694:. Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History
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384:We the People: A Story of Internment in America
335:We the People: A Story of Internment in America
382:Tsukamoto, Mary; Pinkerton, Elizabeth (1987).
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667:National Archives and Records Administration
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268:In May 1942, as part of the enforcement of
241:Tsukamoto was born on January 17, 1915, in
1006:. Elk Grove Unified School District. 2005.
894:. Elk Grove Unified School District. 2005.
854:"A Wrong The Constitution Failed To Right"
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637:"Faces of Freedom - Mary Tsukamoto"
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1012:"Mary Tsukamoto Elementary School"
944:. National Women's History Project
505:. National Women's History Project
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1016:Elk Grove Unified School District
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852:Durso, Lauri (November 5, 1987).
826:Nix, Melissa (December 6, 2007).
264:Life in Japanese internment camps
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643:. Robert McCormick Foundation
641:Freedom Express Exhibit Guide
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720:Japanese Americans of Florin
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1063:Japanese-American internees
717:Trujillo, Michelle (2020).
357:tours are held seasonally.
339:Civil Liberties Act of 1988
225:. She also worked with the
223:Civil Liberties Act of 1988
145:Civil Liberties Act of 1988
39:California State University
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576:"Honoring Mary Tsukamoto"
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243:San Francisco, California
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245:. Her parents were from
302:Dedication to education
227:Smithsonian Institution
274:Fresno Assembly Center
255:College of the Pacific
207:Sacramento, California
101:College of the Pacific
781:The California Museum
386:. Laguna Publishers.
122:civil rights activist
51:Mary Tsuruko Dakusaku
412:. Wheatmark. 280pp.
270:Executive Order 9066
259:Stockton, California
41:, Sacramento Library
985:Densho Encyclopedia
970:National Geographic
912:. February 9, 2010.
296:Kalamazoo, Michigan
832:The Sacramento Bee
752:"Oral History T-U"
623:Lodi News-Sentinel
351:Elk Grove District
251:Florin, California
119:cultural historian
928:Elk Grove Citizen
910:Elk Grove Citizen
783:. August 10, 2012
219:Japanese American
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428:References
237:Early life
69:California
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