Hawaii Tribune-Herald Island Beat Thursday, March 30, 2017 11 STORIES From page 2 “The subject matter is one of those fascinating but little-known parts of our history,” says HJC executive director Arnold Hiura. “People have heard about it but don’t know too many details. Each one of the women that Barbara interviewed back in the ’80s has something unique or different about her story.” It’s an oral history for future generations, Kawakami says. “With little education, these ladies quickly learned and adapted to their new environment. It’s amazing. They never gave up. They have left such a strong legacy.” Kawakami’s book honors this first-generation immigrant experience and the hardships the picture brides went through. Hiura says there is a cohesive thread woven between the stories — one of hardship and sacrifice — but that the tales are not all “doom and gloom.” “Somehow, out of this very difficult situation, a lot of good arises … and a lot of joy and happiness,” he says. “Now that all of our first generation (issei) are gone, I think Barbara has preserved a very interesting, human side of our history.” Growing up on an Oahu plantation as one of nine children, Kawakami completed only an eighth-grade education before she had to stop her schooling to go to work, since her mother was widowed when Kawakami was 6 years old. She can still recall watching the men and women going to work every morning — their bento bags dangling from their arm, straw bonnets, kerchiefs and jackets. The clothing is where she started when Kawakami finally got the chance to go back to school. Since there was no written record that she could find, her mother introduced her to ladies she knew from the plantation. One after another, Kawakami interviewed the ladies for her master’s thesis on plantation clothing. However, she ended up getting more than she bargained for. “Clothing is such an intimate thing; it’s a part of your life,” Kawakami says. “So these women began telling me their whole life stories, and I took down every little detail. I actually think the timing was perfect. At that point, these ladies were all retirees and the plantation had demolished all their homes so they had moved to senior housing. For the first time in their lives, someone came to interview them and they couldn’t stop telling me their stories. I just had to ask one question and it just flowed.” Their stories, many times, had not even been shared with their own children, but somehow they opened up their hearts to Kawakami. In part, this is why she says she “wanted to cry” when the publisher asked her to remove the personal accounts from her first book. “It’s funny though, I never stopped researching, even though I wasn’t sure I could finish the second book,” Kawakami says, noting that she’s not slowing down and a third book about plantation life already is in the works. “Picture Bride Stories” also will be translated into Japanese. The HJC program will include a performance of a hole hole bushi dance number by Hawaii Island’s Tsukikage Odorikai and a screening of excerpts of interviews Kawakami conducted with some of the women for PBS Hawaii’s “Rice & Roses” television series three decades ago. The interviews are shown courtesy of the Center for Labor Education and Research, University of Hawaii West Oahu and producer/ writer Chris Conybeare and director/editor Joy Chong-Stannard. “I really believe this is one of the more interesting programs that we will be presenting at the center,” Hiura says. “This is exactly the kind of program we had envisioned providing to the community. One of our goals has been to bring interesting speakers, artists, workshops and programming that would otherwise not be available here in Hilo.” After her talk, Kawakami will be available to autograph her book. The 328- page hardbound “Picture Bride Stories,” published by University of Hawaii Press, is available for $40, including tax. Hawaii Japanese Center members will receive a 10 percent discount. For more information, call Hiura at 934- 9611 or email contact@ hawaiijapanesecenter. com. One-Stop for Everything On Your List • Pizza Hut • Foodland Keaau • Longs Drugs • Lemongrass Restaurant • Keaau Natural Foods • Ace Hardware • The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf • Sadora Floral Designs • Subway • L & L Drive-Inn • Supercuts • Suds n Duds KEAAU SHOPPING CENTER By Appointment or Walk-Ins Welcome! Palm & Psychic Readings LOVE, ROMANCE & CAREER Kamehameha Market 144 Kamehameha Ave. Hilo M-S • 9am - 5pm 808-854-9169 Call Christine for more information Ask about our Classes & New Arrivals STRiNGS FABRIC & YARN 285 Kinoole St. (after McDonalds) W-F 10a-5p • S 10a-3p 937-2160 • stringsfabric.com Barbara F. Kawakami
ib
To see the actual publication please follow the link above