San Jose REgenerations Oral History Project

Aiko Kitaji

General Topic of Interview

Aiko Kitaji recounts her parents' immigration and work experiences. She describes what it was like to grow up in San Jose and Gilroy, and how the family was sent to Poston concentration camp during World War II. Much of the interview focuses on her experiences at the Gilroy Hot Springs, where she and her family resettled after the war. Her brother-in-law's position as a manager and her own managerial responsibilities at the hot springs enable her to provide a "behind the scenes" perspective on the history and operations of the hostel.

Biography

Aiko Kitaji was born in San Jose, California. Her cosmopolitan and adventurous mother was a strong influence in her life. When she was a young girl, Mrs. Kitaji was fiercely independent and aspired to see the world. Unlike other Japanese American women at the time who got married at sixteen or so, she had no intention of getting married. While most Japanese American girls went to school until the 10th grade--and then, to learn things like home economics--she enrolled herself in the business curriculum at her high school and, like her male counterparts, stayed in school until the 12th grade. Against her father's wishes, she went to college in Los Angeles to study fashion design.

Her plans were disrupted when she and her family were sent to Poston during World War II. Her parents convinced her that it would be too difficult for a woman to try to resettle on her own. Consequently, she got married and started a family while she was still in camp.

When the West Coast was cleared for resettlement, Mrs. Kitaji and her family resettled in the Gilroy area. They lived and worked at the Gilroy Hot Springs, which was temporarily converted into a hostel to accommodate returning internees while they searched for more permanent housing situations. He husband worked as the maintenance mechanic, her brother-in-law was an assistant manager, and she herself took on some managerial responsibilities as well.

Mrs. Kitaji and her husband had seven children. After ten years at the hot springs, the family moved to Watsonville.

Comments

At the end of the interview, Mrs. Kitaji shows photographs of her family in San Jose, Poston, and the Gilroy Hot Springs.