~“Nikkei” in Palau~ Interview Series: Vol.#18 Ms. Margarette Matsutaro

Ms. Margarette Matsutaro, now 76 years old, is a third-generation Japanese descent. She was born to Mr. Ichiro from Peleliu who was adopted by Palauan family. Her grandfather is Japanese. From what Margarette heard, her grandfather’s name was Mr. Miwa. Her father attended Japanese school in Peleliu from first to third grade. Ms. Matsutaro says “My father, Mr. Ichiro knew nothing of where my grandfather was if he died during the war or if he was alive. Being adopted to a Palauan father, Mr. Ichiro, was loyal to his Palauan family.”
 
Ms. Matsutaro attended JFK high school in Guam. She lived and worked in Guam as a flight attendant for Continental Micronesia, now integrated by United Airlines until she retired. She now lives in Koror and sometimes in Peleliu. She said, “as a child, I remember playing with my friends using glass Coca-Cola bottles and even unexploded ordinances in Peleliu that were remains from World War II.”
 
During her school days. at first it was difficult because she could not speak English, but as time went on, Ms. Margarette started to learn the language, and now she is a fluent English speaker, you can’t even tell that she had trouble with the language at all. She recalls a memory of making “peanut butter Jelly sandwiches every day for school” as it was the only thing she could make and afford. She isn’t sad when she thinks about those hardships, she is rather fond of them and retells the story with a bright smile.
 
As it is the 30-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Palau, Ms. Matsutaro says that we should continue the relationship that we already have with Japan and “continue working forward together”.