My grandma, Rose Kokubu Fujisaki, was kind, intelligent and resilient. She grew up in Salem, Oregon with her parents and siblings May, Pearl, and Jimmie. She was a skilled typist and never missed an opportunity to dress up. 

 

On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 that interned 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans living on the West Coast. My grandma and her family were five of them. 

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I learned about my grandma's story from my father after she passed away in 2015. My middle name is Rose, named after her, and it was something that I felt I could connect to her with. After completing this project, I feel closer to her than I ever have. Her story is one of sadness, difficulty and bravery. However, I am grateful that I get to share it with you. I hope you enjoy reading Rose's story, the story of my amazing grandma.