Talking Hawaii's Story: Oral Histories of an Island People (Biography Monograph Series)

Talking Hawaii's Story is the first major book in over a generation to present a rich sampling of the landmark work of Hawaii's Center for Oral History. Twenty-nine extensive oral histories introduce readers to the sights and sounds of territorial Waikiki, to the feeling of community in Palama, in Kona, or on the island of Lanai, and even to the experience of a German national interned by the military government after Pearl Harbor. The result is a collection that preserves Hawaii's social and cultural history through the narratives of the people who lived it--co-workers, neighbors, family members, and friends. An Introduction by Warren Nishimoto and Michi Kodama-Nishimoto provides historical context and information about the selection and collection methods. Photos of the interview subjects accompany each oral history. For further reading, an appendix also provides information about the Center for Oral History's major projects. CONTENTS......Page 6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 8 INTRODUCTION......Page 10 Hawaiiano......Page 16 A Family Tradition......Page 25 Pälama to Pearl Harbor......Page 35 Kona is the Best......Page 50 Hard Work and Pleasures, Too......Page 57 Hänai Granddaughter......Page 65 Like Going to Heaven......Page 75 A Brave One......Page 84 From Classroom to Pineapple Field......Page 95 Unity of the Family......Page 103 The Rascal of Waikïkï......Page 121 A Basic Personality of Liking People......Page 131 An Independent Woman......Page 144 Waikïkï, It’s Part of Me......Page 153 The Sharecropper......Page 163 Proud to be Pälama......Page 169 Fond Memories of Waikïkï......Page 179 Building a Better Hawai‘i......Page 189 Sugar Plantation Memories......Page 206 Togetherness Was There All the Time......Page 216 My Kälia Home......Page 226 Interwoven Memories of Läna‘i......Page 234 Interned: Experiences of an “Enemy Alien”......Page 245 Always a Rebel......Page 254 You’re Your Own Boss, Nobody Boss You......Page 263 Civilian in Wartime Hawai‘i......Page 272 Working Cowboy......Page 286 The Store That Carried Everything......Page 295 Recollections from the Windward Side......Page 310 APPENDIX: CENTER FOR ORAL HISTORY PROJECTS......Page 322

Talking Hawai'i's Story is the first major book in over a generation to present a rich sampling of the landmark work of Hawai'i's Center for Oral History. Twenty-nine extensive oral histories introduce readers to the sights and sounds of territorial Waikiki, to the feeling of community in Palama, in Kona, or on the island of Lana'i, and even to the experience of a German national interned by the military government after Pearl Harbor. The result is a collection that preserves Hawai'i's social and cultural history through the narratives of the people who lived it-co-workers, neighbors, family members, and friends.

An Introduction by Warren Nishimoto and Michi Kodama-Nishimoto provides historical context and information about the selection and collection methods. Photos of the interview subjects accompany each oral history. For further reading, an appendix also provides information about the Center for Oral History's major projects.

This collection of twenty-nine oral histories helps preserve Hawaii's social and cultural history through the narratives of the people who lived it - co-workers, neighbours, family members and friends. These stories introduce the reader to the sights and sounds of territorial Waikiki, to the feeling of community in Palama, in Kona or on the island of Lana'i, and even to the experience of a German national interned by the military government after Pearl Harbour Presents a sampling of landmark work of Hawai'i's Center for Oral History. This book preserves Hawai'i's social and cultural history through the narratives of the people who lived it - co-workers, neighbors, family members, and friends.