<Begin Segment 22>

SY: So, Christine, when did you, when was the date that you actually graduated from nursing school?

CI: August the 10th, 1950.

SY: And you remember it because?

CI: We have class reunions. And whenever we filled out anything, we always had to write down the day you entered the nursing program, and it was the day after that you graduated.

SY: So at these reunions, there weren't that many of you by that time. You said there was a big attrition rate.

CI: Well, our reunions would be held at parks. The ones that were close together. Not everybody would attend the reunions.

SY: And it's all women in that group?

CI: In our class. There were three men, and one did come to one of our reunions. I think the other two have never come to our reunions. One was the nurse at the jail, at the prison, Kesler. But anyway...

SY: So this was only, when you think about it, it was only five years after the end of the war that you graduated, right?

CI: '45 to '50.

SY: Yeah. So was there still reaction from people about camp or World War II or did you ever feel like you were being, there were any kind of racial overtones?

CI: No. I guess I was fortunate that my friends were...

SY: How about among the other teachers or people that you were working with, patients? Never any feeling of discrimination?

CI: No. I worked mostly in, well, the newborn nursery, of course. I worked there, then I worked for an obstetrician, so of course he's not... and I knew him in, at County. The Crawford brothers in Lakewood. And I know that one time we were starting to look for a house. I mentioned to one of the patients that, "Oh, Lakewood, they have restrictive covenants," and I believe they did at that time. And so they got together and they said, "Well, we're going to start a petition so that you can own a house in Lakewood." And I said, "Forget it. I don't want to go anywhere where I'm not welcome." So most of the time it was very positive.

SY: People trying to help you.

CI: Yeah.

SY: How about doctors? Do you remember very many Japanese doctors there, whether they had a hard time?

CI: I don't think they did. There weren't too many doctors at County. I remember just... what was his name? George Mizunoue? Some med students I knew. But I think even at that time, they were kind of, you could only have so many Asians, I think, in a class. I believe that...

SY: There were quotas.

CI: I think so, at that time. This is, we're talking about late '40s and early '50s. So I think the quota system was still in effect. And then I worked at Harbor, and Dr. Uriu, I don't know if you know Dr. Uriyu. He just passed away recently. But he was one of the... I think he was the chief resident of surgery at that time when I met him. So there were more Japanese doctors on the scene. But I never heard of any of them feeling discrimination.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright &copy; 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.