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Keiro Rehabilitation & Care Center (#40)

Also known as: Keiro

Traces of the skilled nursing facility started by 7 Nisei (second generation) to meet cultural, social, language and dietary needs of elderly Nikkei remain on the site. A central main entry to welcome visitors. A large building to the north for resident care. A soothing garden to the south for respite and healing.

What did it take to get here? Community members first opened a skilled nursing facility in South Seattle in 1976. By the end of its first year, the facility was nearly completely full and had an ever growing wait list. Ten years later, after a $6.6 million campaign, community members built a new 150-bed facility at this location, operating until 2019.

What stories linger from the elders who lived here and the community members who contributed to their support? The Issei (first generation) who were incarcerated in U.S. concentration camps during World War II and returned home to start anew. The Nisei (second generation) who spend their formative years in the camps and stepped up as leaders in the community, forged by strength, resilience and sacrifice. The Sansei (third generation) who carried on the legacy of the generations before them.

Also, visit waypoint #29 to learn more about the community-led initiative to build Nikkei Manor and Keiro Rehabilitation and Care Center.

Images

Entrance to the skilled nursing facility.

Alabastro Photography. Courtesy of Wing Luke Museum.

View from the garden shows the main residential building in the background.

Alabastro Photography. Courtesy of Wing Luke Museum.

Garden adjacent to the skilled nursing facility.

Alabastro Photography. Courtesy of Wing Luke Museum.