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TI: And so why did your father come to --

HH: Hawaii. Okay, the mother had remarried and they had immigrated to Hawaii, her, she and her husband. And in order to meet the deadline for immigration, she had to bring him over before he was eighteen. So he had, he dropped out of school to meet the deadline and he had, his uncle came to Hawaii to join the mother.

TI: And about how old was he?

HH: Eighteen.

TI: Okay, so right at that deadline. I see.

HH: Yeah. Probably just before deadline, they made it.

TI: So, eighteen years old, what did he do in Hawaii?

HH: He, well, what he did was when he came they were in Kohala, which is very rural, and when he went he saw that there was nothing he could do. Otherwise he would have to work in the cane field. So he left and went to Honolulu, went to night school, learned enough English so he could get a waiter's job, and then went to school at night to learn English.

TI: Then when he was finished with English school and got the waiter job, how, do you know how long he did that?

HH: No, I don't. Short while, though. He met my mother and they, they eloped. [Laughs]

TI: Oh, so let's talk about, I was going to ask, so first, what was your mother's name?

HH: Hana Matsuda.

TI: And do you know what part of Japan she was from?

HH: She was Yamaguchi also.

TI: And so she met your father in Honolulu.

HH: At the night school.

TI: So how did she come, or why did she come to...

HH: Her parents were already here, and then... the mother had just given birth to a child, so she wanted -- my mother was only fourteen or fifteen -- to come and help with the care of that child.

TI: So you mentioned she was going to night school, and that's where she met your father. So can you tell me a little bit about what your mother was like? You know, personality wise, how would you describe her?

HH: She was kind of quiet, pleasant, very caring.

TI: And how about your father? What was he like?

HH: Oh, he was, he was, I wouldn't know how to describe, but he was outgoing and he could speak well, he was smart, and he could do a lot of impromptu speeches, so he was, while he was working, was asked to do a lot of speeches.

TI: Okay, good. So you mentioned your mother and father met in night school. Then you mentioned they eloped?

HH: Yeah.

TI: Tell me about that. What happened?

HH: They, well they were of age, so they eloped to Kona, got married and moved to Hilo, so they wouldn't be bothered with the family.

[Interruption]

TI: And just for clarification, another niece joined us, Gwen, so she's in the room also. So I just asked you about your parents eloping, and you mentioned how they went to Kona and then to Hilo. What was the reaction of the families when they eloped?

HH: Oh, I don't know.

TI: So your father --

HH: Oh, no, I think there were, I don't know if you can say... they were upset. But the father came over to see, to check on his daughter, and he came and he met them and he approved.

TI: Okay, so initially they, 'cause I'm just thinking, wow, they, they left Oahu, they went to Kona, then Hilo. It's almost like they were trying to get away from the family.

HH: Oh, yeah, the family, yeah. But the father came and checked on her and did give his approval.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.