Michiye "Mich" Matsudaira was a Japanese American activist and community leader who played a key role in advocating for redress and reparations for Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated during World War II.
Matsudaira was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1927, and her family was among the 120,000 Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from the West Coast and incarcerated in concentration camps during World War II. She spent time in both the Minidoka and Tule Lake camps before being released in 1945.
After the war, Matsudaira earned a degree in sociology from the University of Washington and went on to become a teacher. She also became involved in community organizing and civil rights activism, working with groups like the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and the Seattle chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).
Matsudaira played a significant role in the redress and reparations movement for Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during the war. She helped to found the National Coalition for Redress and Reparations (NCRR), an organization that brought together various Japanese American groups to push for redress and reparations. Matsudaira also served on the board of the Japanese American National Museum and was involved in the creation of the museum's permanent exhibit on the incarceration of Japanese Americans.
In addition to her activism, Matsudaira was also an accomplished artist and poet. She published several collections of poetry, including "Songs of the Kisaeng" and "Looking Like the Enemy," which explored her experiences growing up in the concentration camps and her struggles with identity and belonging.
Matsudaira continued to be involved in activism and community work throughout her life, and was recognized for her contributions with numerous awards, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award and the Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese government.
Matsudaira passed away in 2014 at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy of activism, art, and community building that continues to inspire future generations.