U.S. Passport in Territorial Hawaii for Japanese American Woman

Passports issued in Hawaii are a rare find for any collector. Before we go into the details of this document, here’s a short overview of Hawaii’s history from 1954 to 1959:

1954 Democratic Revolution

In 1954, Hawaii saw a major political shift. The Democratic Party, supported by labor unions and many working-class Asian Americans (especially Japanese), ended decades of Republican dominance. This change was driven by calls for social reform, fair labor practices, and broader representation.

Rise of Organized Labor

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) played a big role in empowering workers and pushing for political change. Strikes and labor actions helped force employers and politicians to address inequality.

Push for Statehood

After the political shift in 1954, momentum built toward making Hawaii the 50th U.S. state. Support grew in Congress and among island residents. Key arguments for statehood included full representation, military importance, and the growing local economy.

Admission Act and Statehood in 1959

Congress passed the Hawaii Admission Act in March 1959. On June 27, Hawaiians voted overwhelmingly in favor of statehood. On August 21, 1959, Hawaii officially became the 50th state of the United States. This period marked the end of Hawaii as a U.S. territory and the start of its full participation in American political life.

The Passport Holder

Ritsuyo Matsui, 99, of Honolulu, a retired employee of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Insurance Division, and an independent insurance and travel agent, died in Arcadia Retirement Residence on Feb. 26, 2016. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by sisters Harriet A. Kusuhara, Kikuye Okinaka and Helen Y. Matsui.

Her brother Jiro served in WWII from 1940 to 1946 with the 100th Infantry Battalion in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. His decorations included a Bronze Star. His son Alan remembers he was in Italy. “He never talked much about the war.” He died at age 79 in Pearl City on March 12, 1999.

The Passport

Issued on August 6th, 1954 in the Territory of Hawaii in Honolulu. With a facsimile signature of governor King and another signature in hand from the assistant to the governor.

In 1954, the Governor of the Territory of Hawaii was Samuel Wilder King. He served from 1953 to 1957 and was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. King was a Republican and the first governor of Hawaiian ancestry (part Native Hawaiian) to hold the position. His term overlapped with the 1954 Democratic Revolution, which shifted political power in the islands.

Her only travel – to Yokohama

Yokohama was not under U.S. control in 1954 when this passport was issued. It was part of Japan, which regained its sovereignty on April 28, 1952, when the Treaty of San Francisco came into effect. This treaty officially ended the Allied occupation of Japan following World War II.

However, even after 1952, the United States maintained a military presence in Japan, including in areas near Yokohama. U.S. military bases like Yokosuka Naval Base and others nearby remained active and still operate today. But Yokohama itself was back under Japanese civil administration by 1954.

In 1954, Yokohama did not have its own dedicated airport. While Yokohama was a major port city, its main air travel access was through Haneda Airport, located approximately 17 km away. In 1954, Yokota Air Base, located further away, was primarily a US Air Force base with two major wings stationed there: the 67th Reconnaissance Wing and the 35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. 

Internment of Japanese Americans during World War II

During World War II, about 1 to 2 percent of Japanese Americans in Hawaii were interned. This is a small fraction compared to the mainland United States. Out of roughly 160,000 people of Japanese descent living in Hawaii at the time, only about 1,400 to 1,800 were interned.

In contrast, on the mainland, over 110,000 Japanese Americans—nearly 100 percent of those living in designated areas – were forcibly removed and incarcerated. Hawaii’s different treatment was largely due to its strategic military value and the fact that Japanese Americans made up a large part of the workforce, especially in agriculture and infrastructure. Mass internment would have crippled the local economy.

Japanese Americans made up about 37% of Hawaii’s total population. Interning all of them, as was done on the mainland, would have disrupted the entire local economy and essential services. On the mainland, there was widespread fear, racism, and political pressure from local white communities to remove Japanese Americans. In Hawaii, where contact and coexistence were more routine, public pressure for internment was much weaker.

Hence, the chance that she was interned was small.

 

Tom Topol | Passport Historian & Author
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