Changing Hawaii

By Diane Yukihiro Chang

Friday, September 10, 1999

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Preserving the
history of families

LAST year, when Douglas Keola Kim was assigned an oral history project for his seventh-grade English class at Iao School on Maui, his first reaction was, "Oh, brother. This is going to take a long time."

The more he thought about it, though, the more excited the 13-year-old became. Douglas decided to profile his great-grandmother, 100-year-old Pun Cho Yu of Waikiki, because he had always thought she was an "amazing" lady.

Not any more. "Now, after hearing all of her stories, I think she's an even GREATER person," he says.

Douglas, the son of Duane and Miyo Kim of Waihee, got an "A" for his finished work -- 27 pages of text and charming photographs of Halmuni ("grandma" in Korean) and her progeny, long ago and today.

Even better, documenting "Halmuni's Story" gave Douglas a greater understanding of his ancestral roots and the hardships experienced by the early immigrants to the islands.

The youngster first videotaped three hours of Halmuni talking (mostly in Korean and broken English) about her past.

Then he listened intently as his grandmother, Kaimuki resident Alice Yu Kim, interpreted her mom's monologue over another six or seven hours.

Five additional hours were spent writing and collecting the graphics.

The result is a simple yet riveting account of one family's history, seen through the eyes of a centenarian and told in the words of a budding writer. Some excerpts:

On coming to the islands in 1919. "Halmuni found out about Hawaii from some of her friends, who had already been there as picture brides. She was told that if she went, she would become rich and have a good life."

On her journey. "Halmuni was so seasick that she thought she was going to die...She remembers that, on the boat, a light was shining in her eyes. She used to think that it was a spotlight but now, when she thinks back, it was probably the doctor checking to make sure that she was still alive."

On her marriage to Do Bum Yu. "When Halmuni first met her (future) husband, she was still sick from the boat ride, so she didn't get a good look at him...When they got to Maui and she saw his face, she said to herself, 'Oh, he looks so old.' Her heart sank...He was 20 years older than she was, and he worked in the cane fields, which made him look even older."

On her travails. "Halmuni's first job was (doing laundry) for other people. On Maui, she had to wash clothes for 10 bachelors...In those days, they didn't have washing machines so she had to use a wash board...The lye soap was so strong, she spent a week in the hospital from burns on her hands. She had to work day and night."

Douglas is understandably proud of his school project, which was the talk of Halmuni's 100th birthday party at Hee Hing restaurant on Aug. 29. Someone in every family should do the same, he recommends, to preserve a clan's history.

It's an experience Douglas won't ever forget, just like the teachings of his great-grandma. "Halmuni said to be grateful for your blessings, to be good inside and to get a good education," Douglas wrote. "Although she went through a lot of hard times, she prayed every day. This is her secret to a long life."

Thanks to one of her 27 great-grandchildren, it's not a secret anymore.

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Diane Yukihiro Chang's column runs Monday and Friday.
She can be reached by phone at 525-8607, via e-mail at
dchang@starbulletin.com, or by fax at 523-7863.