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TI: Okay, so today is February 28, 2011, and we're in Honolulu talking with Catherine Embree Harris. So Catherine, I want to ask the first question, can you tell me where you were born?

CH: New York City.

TI: And what, what was the date of your birth?

CH: October 30, 1919.

TI: So that means you're ninety-two years old. [CH nods] Okay, good.

CH: At least.

TI: [Laughs] And what was the name given to you at birth?

CH: Catherine Gay, G-A-Y, Embree.

TI: And tell me, what was your father's name?

CH: Edwin Rogers Embree.

TI: And tell me, what kind of work did, did he do? What kind of work did your father do?

CH: Oh my, that's the hardest question for me because I wasn't paying any attention to him and his work, but what I was aware of he was in the area of race relations, improving relationships between negroes and haoles. How they, how he did this I have no idea, 'cause I, as a child you're not always paying much attention to your parents. So that's about all I can say.

TI: Okay, but at some point you were in Hawaii. Was your, was your father -- as a child -- was your father in Hawaii during that time period?

CH: Well, I'm very unclear about his situation. He was here, but what he was doing financially, for instance, how was he earning a living, I don't know. Somebody must know, but I don't.

TI: Okay, well, that's okay. About how old were you when you were living in Hawaii as a child?

CH: Oh my goodness, well, I spent a lot of time out here and I was in school. I went to Punahou off and on. And I was here as a young child at some point, but my memory has never been very good. I could not, as I said, I was in school. I remember that. But I don't remember details.

TI: How about the neighborhood that you lived in, do you remember that?

CH: Well, we were virtually always in Waikiki. We rented an apartment of some kind and it was usually my mother with her children living there. My father was off in New Orleans on some kind of business, I have no idea what. So it was sort of an in and out thing.

TI: During this time in Hawaii, how much contact did you have with Japanese?

CH: Good question. I don't think very much, but I don't know, 'cause I'm not sure... I think the family, being my mother and brother and sister, were going to school. My mother wasn't going to school, but I don't really know.

TI: How about things like, it was common maybe for, like helpers, like maybe a maid or a gardener or things like that, do you recall?

CH: I think we, well it depends. If we were in an apartment we might not have a gardener, might not have a garden, so I don't know, but there was a gardener occasionally. There was a maid frequently, but the details I don't know.

TI: Okay.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.