By Lori Matsukawa
Ever since my children’s book Brave Mrs. Sato was published eight months ago, I’ve spent enjoyable moments reading it to local elementary students. My book is based on childhood memories of my real life babysitter and real life grandmother who was a picture bride. A picture bride was the term used for a woman who immigrated to the United States from Japan at the turn of the 20th Century to marry a man she knew only by his photograph.
Who does that? I wondered. Who leaves their family and country to marry a stranger recommended by a matchmaker? It turns out, 26,000 Japanese women actually made the journey between 1907 and 1920. Most of these women became laborers on Hawaiian plantations and West Coast farms at a time when immigration from Asia was forbidden. Their status as wives allowed them access. Along with their straw baskets filled with kimono and accessories, these women brought Japanese culture—cuisine, fashion, ikebana (flower arranging), calligraphy, language, dance and music. They passed these on to their children and the children they cared for.
I don’t read to kids in order to sell books. I do it because they love to hear stories, especially when told from the perspective of someone their age. When students hear about Mrs. Sato and Japanese culture, they are instantly inspired.
“Mrs. Johnson,” one student begged his teacher, “Let’s do a unit on ikebana.”
“Let’s make tsukemono (pickled vegetables)!” another one said.
When the young girl in the book learns she has to move to another town, she is worried. Her babysitter Mrs. Sato comforts her and reveals how she was fearful when she first came to Hawai’i, too.
Lori Matsukawa at Mullinex Ridge Elementary in Port Orchard on March 1, 2024. (Photo by Cindy Johnson)
I want readers of this book to appreciate the bravery of the picture brides. And most of all, I want readers to know that EVERYONE has a family origin story to tell. Whether their kin arrived from Cambodia, Ireland or Ethiopia, someone in their family took a big step forward. Someone in their family made a choice that changed the course of their lives forever. Someone was brave. Please write it down.
I encourage adults to read this book too and help put more literature like it in public school libraries. Again, this is not about selling books. It is about providing a free and easy way for young people to learn about other cultures and get a peek at pieces of history they may not find in their Washington state or American History texts. It is a way to affirm to young people— especially those from marginalized communities—that you and your stories matter. They realize we may be different in some ways, but very much alike in others. As we rid the shelves of racist books, we can replace them with tales of positivity, culture and bravery.