Matsuyo Yamashita Scholarship
Matsuyo Yamashita, born in Hiroshima, Japan in 1900, emigrated to the United States in 1920 to marry Ichiro Yamashita. They settled in Selma, California, where they owned and operated a 30-acre vineyard that cultivated seedless grapes. As a prominent couple among Japanese Americans in Selma, Matsuyo and Ichiro played a significant role in community life by founding the Selma Buddhist Church, the Japanese Language School, and organizing various Japanese American social events. They raised 5 children: four daughters and one son, Hiroshi Yamashita, that graduated from Fresno State University in 1960 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
During World War II, Matsuyo lost family members in the devastating atomic bombings of Hiroshima. As Japanese Americans, the Yamashita family was interned in an American Internment Camp at the Gila River War Relocation Authority Center in Arizona. At the age of forty-two, Matsuyo and her five-year-old son Hiro endured the hardships of internment for over three years.
Upon returning home, they faced numerous challenges as they sought to rebuild their lives. Their property had been neglected, and the thriving 30-acre seedless grape vineyard they once owned was in disarray. The community they had known had shifted, and rebuilding both their livelihood and their social standing required immense effort and resilience. They faced bigotry and prejudicial behavior towards the whole family. Despite these challenges, Matsuyo’s unwavering determination and positive spirit guided her family through these difficult times, eventually restoring their vineyard and re-establishing their place within the community. Her perseverance in the face of adversity left a lasting impact on her family and community members alike.
Matsuyo, a math intellect, passed on her exceptional mathematical skills to her son, Hiro. She played the pivotal role in Hiro’s academic journey at Fresno State. Her unwavering emotional support and late-night coffee provided the necessary energy for Hiro’s studies, enabling him to graduate from Fresno State and embark on an illustrious career as a Mechanical Engineer for the Federal Aviation Administration.
Matsuyo’s selfless nature once again shone when the United States government offered her a modest settlement in exchange for the four years she spent in the internment camp. Despite the hardships she endured, including the destruction of her family’s livelihood, Matsuyo, at the age of 90, chose not to keep the settlement for herself. Instead, she entrusted it to Hiro, instructing him to invest it wisely so that he could grow the money and then use it to help others. This investment is the source of this gift to you. Now you use it wisely, and always remember the compassionate, thoughtful, and generous spirit of your benefactor, Matsuyo Yamashita.
Inspiration comes in many forms. For Hiro, a Fresno State University graduate, it was Matsuyo, his mother. Matsuyo, a remarkable individual, passed away in 2001 at the age of 101, leaving behind a legacy of compassion, thoughtfulness, and generosity.