Lawrence Matsuda wins an honorable mention from Idaho Library Association for Shape Shifter Minidoka Concentration Camp Legacy

In the virtual award presentation on October 5, 2023, author Larry Matsuda accepted an honorable mention award from the Idaho Library Association. Signed copies of Shape Shifter are for sale in Friends of Minidoka’s online bookstore.

Here are excerpts of Larry’s acceptance remarks:

First, I’d like to thank the Idaho Library Association for selecting my book –Shape Shifter, Minidoka Concentration Camp Legacy, for an honorable mention.   Given the subject matter and content I expect there was some controversy.  So thank you for this honor.  

Also I want to congratulate Jenny Tinghui Zhang as the winner and Keith Petersen for honorable mention. 

Today I will speak about my background, the relevance of the book, read a poem and discuss issues related to our current national situation. 

My Background

I was born in the WWII Minidoka Idaho Concentration Camp-Block 26 barrack 2, and my Government ID number is 11464D.  Over 120,000 were incarcerated unjustly and 13,000 at Minidoka. All of my family were incarcerated except those who remained at the family home in Hiroshima, Japan. 

Many ask how and why did the WWII forced incarceration happen?

In the book I address the issue that there are at least “Two Americas” - and we lived in the one with less justice by design. 

As the “other Americans,” we experienced restrictive laws and court decisions that prevented-citizenship, land ownership, intermarriage and other activities.

Our place as lesser individuals has deep historical roots and the forced incarceration was the culmination of numerous past injustices.

Three US Presidents – Reagan, Bush Sr. and Clinton in their letters of apology to the Japanese Americans stated that the causes of the WWII Forced incarceration:

Race Discrimination, Wartime Hysteria and Failed leadership.

So how are we doing today?

Race Discrimination  —  witness the rise of Black Lives Matter and Anti Asian Hate crimes   

War time hysteria – was called propaganda then and now it is fake news, lies and conspiracy theories.

Failed leadership — do I need to say more?

So the causes of the injustice are alive and well and their existence reframes the incarceration issue as a current day concern.  In addition, our forced incarceration experience is like the canary in the coal mine—this is what the demise of democracy looks like—authoritarian decisions based on fake news/conspiracy theories propelled by failed leadership.

So you hear talk about the destruction of our democracy and wonder what that means. It looks like Minidoka and ten or more other camps.   

Looking back on the forced incarceration, we suffered discrimination, loss, injustice, poor living conditions, on-going trauma,  anger and stress- but the central issue now is our legacy 

Legacy
It is the Japanese American legacy to stand up should it happen again to another group. Our mantra is:

Let it not happen again…

…By reading the book you now own a piece of the Japanese American legacy.  You can not be ignorant and say it never happened. So you must decide what that means to you. 

My poem is a reminder that at least two Americas exist. 

Aside from our legacy and the two Americas concept there are some other take always that I share with young people— 

First, I warn them that if they are different in terms of race, religion, physical disabilities, or sexual orientation, they will experience discrimination and injustice  because of their differences.  Their job and focus must be to manage and survive  and make it from point A to Point B in the best shape possible.

Survival may require shape shifting skills but during and after the process,  they must never ever come to believe that they deserve to be treated unjustly because of their differences. That would be the slippery slope they must avoid.

As a physical reminder of the slippery slope, Minidoka stands as a symbol. But the site is currently threatened by a New York Company that wants to put 400 --700 feet tall windmills around the Minidoka site. Imagine the Washington monument, Statue of Liberty or Viet Nam Memorial in the shadow of 400 windmills or 400 Space Needles.  The proposal is totally inappropriate and is another reminder that there are at least two Americas.

With this award, however, things have changed. I’ve come to realize that Idaho had no responsibility regarding what happened.  Like me  -- the camp was forced on it and we were both victims. 

But this award has made me realize that I have a legitimate birthright claim to being an Idahoan and I can no longer be dismissed as a tourist as some federal agencies recently claim.  As a result, the next time I return to Idaho it will not be as the prodigal son but as man who after 78 years has finally found a place. Walking down Main street in Twin Falls, will be a homecoming. Idaho is no longer my self made prison. Having that feeling of belonging even for a minute in itself will be enough -given that in this day and age, the half-life of Forever is one day.

Finally, I want to thank Tess Gallagher for her  assistance with the manuscript, Roger Shimomura for the cover art, the late Alfredo Arreguin for his portrait of me and my wife Karen who encouraged me for years. 

Thanks again to the Idaho Library Association for the award which helped me find my way home after 78 years. 

Thank you.