Mary Matsuda Gruenewald

About the Author

Mary Matsuda Gruenewald is a resilient memoirist and educator whose poignant reflections on personal and historical trauma have illuminated the injustices faced by Japanese Americans during World War II. Born in Washington state to immigrant parents, she was just sixteen when her family was forcibly relocated to the Minidoka internment camp in Idaho, an experience that profoundly shaped her worldview and advocacy for civil rights. After the war, Gruenewald pursued a career in education, teaching for decades while raising a family, and later channeled her memories into writing to ensure such events are never forgotten. Her debut memoir, Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps, offers an intimate, unflinching account of survival, loss, and the quest for justice, earning acclaim for its emotional depth and historical insight. Through her work, Gruenewald continues to inspire readers to confront prejudice and champion human dignity.