[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14346]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             NISEI BASEBALL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 8, 2008

  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in tribute of Nisei Pioneer 
Day and the past generations of Japanese American baseball players, 
coaches, and teams. For over a century, Japanese American baseball has 
been a strong bond that brought communities and cultures together while 
also teaching good sportsmanship. As the Japanese American community 
and baseball fans gather to celebrate the Nisei Pioneer Day Program in 
Sacramento, I ask that all my colleagues join me in honoring Nisei 
baseball.
  Baseball has been an important sport in the Japanese community since 
it was first introduced in Japan in 1872 by American school teacher 
Horace Wilson. By the turn of the century baseball had become the 
Nation's most popular sport and in 1905 Japan's national champion 
Waseda University team toured the United States competing against 
various American colleges. Unfortunately, during this same time, anti-
Japanese movements were on the rise in the United States. During this 
difficult time, Nisei baseball was able to bring Japanese Americans 
into the Nation's mainstream.
  The 1920s and 1930s are often referred to as the ``Golden Age'' of 
Japanese American baseball. During this time many Japanese American 
communities across the West Coast were organizing teams and leagues. 
This brought the Japanese American community together in the wake of 
increasing anti-Japanese legislation. While laws such as the 
Immigration Act of 1924 were effectively ending Japanese immigration 
into the United States, baseball was providing a valuable bridge 
between the East and West Coast cultures for Issei and Nisei here in 
the United States. It continued to play an important role in defining 
and developing a cultural identity throughout the 1930s.
  After the bombing of Pearl Harbor and President Roosevelt's Executive 
Order initiating the removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans, 
the tradition of baseball resonated within these communities. Daily 
baseball games not only served as a distraction from the monotony of 
the internment camps, but it also provided them with a sense of 
normalcy and community. Today we celebrate the historical impact Nisei 
baseball has had not only on the Japanese American community in the 
United States, but across our Nation as a whole. It provided a sense of 
community during one of the darkest periods of our Nation's history.
  In recent years Japanese ballplayers have helped transform the game 
of baseball at the highest levels. Japanese players competing at the 
major league level, such as Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui and Hideo 
Nomo, have been instrumental in attracting new fans to the sport. The 
success of these major leaguers and the strides made by past Nisei and 
Issei ballplayers have led to a rich and rooted history that can be 
celebrated for generations to come.
  I am honored to pay tribute to a century of Japanese American 
baseball and the enduring effect it has had on the Japanese American 
community. On behalf of the people of Sacramento and the Fifth 
Congressional District of California, I ask all my colleagues to join 
me in commemorating the past and present Japanese American baseball 
pioneers and their lasting legacy on our country.

                          ____________________