Marii Hasegawa
Encyclopedia
Marii Hasegawa is a peace activist, known for her fifty years of work with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
, including serving as its president during the Vietnam War
.
Hasegawa was born in Hiroshima
, Japan
. Her family moved to the United States
in 1919, after her father, a Buddhist priest, was assigned to serve Buddhists in California. She attended University of California, Berkeley
.
In 1942, Hasegawa and her family were interned
at a War Relocation Camp by the U.S. Government. They were forcibly kept for three years, and in 1945 Hasegawa was released and moved to Philadelphia.
While in Philadelphia, Hasegawa began work with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
(WILPF), peace-seeking non-governmental organization
which had vehemently opposed the internment of Japanese Americans and helped to relocate and readjust freed Japanese. She would hold varying roles within WILPF for the next fifty years, such as the chair of its Membership and Extension Committee from 1960 to 1965, its consultant to committees from 1965 to 1968, and its national president from 1971 to 1975. During her presidency of the organization during the Vietnam War
, Hasegawa organized protests against the war and led a peace delegation to North Vietnam
in that capacity.
Hawegawa received the Niwano Peace Prize
in 1996. She now lives in South Hadley, Massachusetts
, and is still active in social justice issues.
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was established in the United States in January 1915 as the Woman's Peace Party...
, including serving as its president during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Hasegawa was born in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Her family moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1919, after her father, a Buddhist priest, was assigned to serve Buddhists in California. She attended University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.
In 1942, Hasegawa and her family were interned
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
at a War Relocation Camp by the U.S. Government. They were forcibly kept for three years, and in 1945 Hasegawa was released and moved to Philadelphia.
While in Philadelphia, Hasegawa began work with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was established in the United States in January 1915 as the Woman's Peace Party...
(WILPF), peace-seeking non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
which had vehemently opposed the internment of Japanese Americans and helped to relocate and readjust freed Japanese. She would hold varying roles within WILPF for the next fifty years, such as the chair of its Membership and Extension Committee from 1960 to 1965, its consultant to committees from 1965 to 1968, and its national president from 1971 to 1975. During her presidency of the organization during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, Hasegawa organized protests against the war and led a peace delegation to North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
in that capacity.
Hawegawa received the Niwano Peace Prize
Niwano Peace Prize
Niwano Peace Prize is given to honor and encourage those who are devoting themselves to interreligious cooperation in the cause of peace,and to make their achievements known...
in 1996. She now lives in South Hadley, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and is still active in social justice issues.