[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 52 (Tuesday, April 1, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LEGACY OF DR. FRANK KITAMOTO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DEREK KILMER

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 1, 2014

  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Frank 
Kitamoto, and offer my condolences to his family and friends in light 
of his passing. As President of the Bainbridge Island Japanese 
Community for over 25 years, Dr. Kitamoto has helped thousands of 
people learn about Japanese American incarceration during World War II. 
His leadership and mentorship has impacted the Bainbridge Island 
community for years to come.
   At the age of two, Dr. Kitamoto and his family were among the 277 
Bainbridge Island residents forced from their homes and taken to 
Manzanar War Relocation Center in California, as directed by Executive 
Order 9066 and Civilian Exclusion Order No. 1. Later, his family was 
transferred to the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho. They were 
the first required to leave their homes. In total, 12,000 Japanese 
American Washingtonians were forced out of their homes for the duration 
of the war. After World War II he returned to Bainbridge Island and 
served as a dentist for the community.
   It was important to Dr. Kitamoto that people remember and students 
learn about Japanese American history and forced relocation during 
WWII. In 1983, he began an oral history project of Japanese American 
culture and internment so that people could listen to their compelling 
and heartfelt stories. Dr. Kitamoto visited classrooms in Washington 
State and traveled around the country to share these stories and talk 
about the Japanese American experience during WWII.
   Dr. Kitamoto played an integral role in the installation of the 
Japanese American Exclusion Memorial on Bainbridge Island. He has been 
honored by the Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities Council with the 
Island Treasure Award and the Kitsap Human Rights Commission bestowed 
the Lifetime Achievement Award.
   Mr. Speaker, our nation owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Kitamoto for 
his commitment to human rights and dedication to ensuring that the 
stories of this difficult period in American history are told. While 
Dr. Kitamoto was greatly missed at the 72nd anniversary commemoration 
of the forced removal of Bainbridge Island Japanese Americans, his 
memory and great work will never be forgotten. I am pleased to 
recognize his service to the community and honor his legacy today in 
the United States Congress.

                          ____________________