Becoming Mama-San: 80 Years of Wisdom
Mary Matsuda Gruenewald
In her third book, Mary Matsuda Gruenewald has distilled her lifetime of wisdom into ten pearls of wisdom for living, which she reveals through her life stories. Each chapter is a story from Mary’s life and the essential lesson she gleaned from a particular life experience.
Mary lived through the Great Depression as a young child, imprisonment in Japanese-American internment camps as a young adult, the cultural taboos of an interracial marriage, reverse racism, divorce, and creating a legacy in her elder years.
In her later years, Mary learned the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation on a personal level as well as within the Japanese-American community. At 80, she recognized there was a part of herself she had never accepted and embraced. A trip to Japan after the publication of her first book helped Mary make peace with her Japanese roots and her ancestors.
As a nurse, Mary cared for many patients who faced death. In time, she overcame her own fear about death and dying, which has resulted in her living life more fully. In her mid-80s, Mary completed preparations for her own death, realizing this is part of living a good life. As of 2020, Mary continues to enjoy her days, grateful for her family, friends, and home.
Finally, Mary writes about the importance of leaving a legacy for future generations, and the special way she will leave her legacy.
The simple yet profound wisdom in these stories will appeal to all generations seeking insight and direction from elders.
Praise
An inspiring and generous wisdom book, Becoming Mama-san is part Zen, part primer offering life lessons from someone who has lived for more than 80 years. Whether gently teaching about surviving racism, or reconciling differences, find-ing community, or forgiveness—Mary Matsuda Gruenwald guides us as only a true elder can. For all of you who’ve longed for a spiritual and practical mentor, discover Mama-san!
Mary Matsuda Gruenewald’s memoir, Looking Like the Enemy makes a valuable contribution to the literature of Japanese-American internment. In telling one family’s story, Gruenewald suggests to us not only the tenor of the times but a per- vasive emotional and psychological ccaondition. This narrative of imprisonment is painfully honest. It reminds ut that historial wrongs are infitniely nuanced as they reverberate through the lives of human beings.
About The Author
Mary Matsuda Gruenewald turned 88 years old when NewSage Press published her third book in Spring 2012. For most of her life, she has been a dynamic, riveting public speaker, proudly sharing her life stories and lessons.
In her first book, Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese-American Internment Camps, Gruenewald broke her silence as a Nisei (second generation Japanese American) who was in Japanese-American concentration camps during World War II. Her second book, a Young Reader’s edition of Looking Like the Enemy, reaches young people just learning about world history and the American internment camps that imprisoned Japanese-Americans against their will during World War II.
Gruenewald began writing in her seventies and published her first book at 80. Prior to that, she worked as a registered nurse for more than a quarter of a century. During that time, she established the Consulting Nurse Service, which has become a national model for numerous health care providers. She also raised three children in an interracial marriage, which was not widely accepted at the time.
In addition, Gruenewald has consulted with the National Park Service during its establishment of Minidoka Internment Camp as a National Park. In 2003, she received an Asian American Living Pioneer Award honoring her contributions.
Until her early 90s, Gruenewald spoke to numerous groups of all ages about her internment camp experiences. Gruenewald’s articles have appeared in newspapers nationally such as the Seattle Times, and she has presented commentaries/book readings for the BBC, NPR in Seattle, and C-span2’s Book TV. As of 2020, she is retired and lives in Seattle, Washington.
