“What You Learn, Nobody Can Take Away From You”

My parents both came from Japan, and they settled here in Hawai’i. My mother came to better her life. They opened the road for us, my siblings and I. You have to be proud of where you’re from. The Chinese are the ones who opened the door for all…

Born on Maui, Employed in San Fran, Living in Honolulu

I was born on Maui on a sugar plantation. My parents lived and worked for the company. I went to high school on Maui. During that time, not too many people were able to come to Hawai’i. Most of my family were able to go to business…

My Ancestry: The War in Vietnam to Life in the States

I interviewed my grandfather for this story to discover more about my ancestral past; he narrates the tale of war in Vietnam and his life experiences from a war-torn country to immigration into the United States. This is the story from…

From War in Korea to Retirement in Hawai’i

I interviewed a couple for this story, who took turns sharing memories from their lifetimes. The story is formatted similar to a dialogue. Taye is in bold, Kenneth is in italics.

Life of a Traveling Psychiatrist

When I was in college in 1954, I worked in the summer as a nursing assistant in Illinois. I was 18, so I got ten years of education until I was 28 years old. I was a psychiatrist. I was raised in Milwaukee, and I had a Nazi mother. She went to two Hitler rallies in the…

My Ancestry: Hawai’i 75 Years Ago

I interviewed my grandmother for this story to discover more about my ancestral past; without her I…