Rose B. Kitahara

ROSE B. KITAHARA
Family # 1107
Camp: Manzanar, CA
Address: 5-5-1

My grandfather, a native of Aizu-Wakamatsu, Japan, came to New Mexico in 1905 to open a boarding house for the immigrant bachelors who had come to the mining town of Raton. My father, Sakui Ban­nai, arrived ten years later and in 1920 moved to Colorado.

Three months after the onset of Pearl Harbor, I was a 17 year old, first year pre-nursing student at LA City College living with a professor’s family when I was suddenly notified by my brother to return home immediately as our family was being evacuated from our home within two days!

In April we went out with one of the first family groups. After an unbelievably hasty, confusing turmoil of packing we were on an old train with drawn shades headed for an unknown destina­tion and fate. I felt numb with pain, and shame for what my beloved country was doing to my family and community of decent, law-abiding people.

Upon entering the appallingly stark and dirty bar­racks my mother gathered us around her and said, “What is happening to us is unfair. We don’t know what will happen to us, but someday you will get out, and when you do, if you carry bitterness and anger in your heart you will be of no value to yourself or others for the rest of your lives, so make the best of this experience.”

I started working as a nurse’s aide for the Public Health Department, going from barrack to barrack in the howling dust storms, around open ditches to urge residents to complete their typhoid shots. Later I worked in the hospital caring for newborn infants and older patients. My favorite work was with the children in the communicable disease unit. A year later, I transferred into the dental department to gain a different experience.

By January of 1944 I was able to realize my hopes of getting out of the camp to go to Chicago to find employment as a self-taught stenographer. I had studied the Gregg Shorthand manual on my own. After saving my earnings for 11 months I was accepted at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. Having been out of school for three years and starting with a 21 unit first semester was most challenging.

I returned to California in June 1948. After mar­riage and three sons, I was able to combine the better of two worlds; motherhood and a career. My work was primarily in coronary care, I.C.U. and I was in charge of setting up the first rehabilitation unit in our hospital. The best years were my final six years as an emergency room nurse.

My life was one of joy and fulfillment. I attribute it to the treasured advice of my mother to meet adversity and injustice without anger and hatred, to know there is a future even when you can’t see it.

Wind and Dust
This wind and dust I have to bear
How hard it blows I do not care.
But when the wind begins to blow –
­My morale is pretty low.
I know that I can see it through
Because others have to bear it too.
So I will bear it with the rest
And hope the outcome is the best.
– George Nishimura, age 16 (Manzanar, 1943)

Read this to learn more about the demographics of each of the ten facilities administered by the War Relocation Authority.

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