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Historical Events

Explore the oral histories below or browse the entire Historical Events archive at ScholarSpace.

Mr. Tanaka, Interviewee Mr. Nakamura (front); Mr. Uyeda and Mr. Ono (back), Poston Relocation Camp, Block 14, 1942. (Photo courtesy Charles Nakamura.)
Mr. Tanaka, Interviewee Mr. Nakamura (front); Mr. Uyeda and Mr. Ono (back), Poston Relocation Camp, Block 14, 1942. (Photo courtesy Charles Nakamura.)

Captive on the U.S. Mainland: Oral Histories of Hawai‘i-born Nisei

Ten Hawai‘i-born Japanese Americans who were incarcerated in assembly and war relocation centers during World War II share their experiences. April 2012, 1807 pages, 1 volume, 522 pages, pdf, photographs.

Interviewee Hisao Kimura, second from left, and other first aid squad members, stand in front of the Waimea First Aid Station, ca. 1942. (Photo courtesy Kimura family.)
Interviewee Hisao Kimura, second from left, and other first aid squad members, stand in front of the Waimea First Aid Station, ca. 1942. (Photo courtesy Kimura family.)

An Era of Change: Oral Histories of Civilians in World War II Hawai‘i

Thirty-three civilians — reflecting Hawai‘i’s diverse occupations, lifestyles, and ethnicities — talk about World War II and how it affected their everyday lives. April 1994, 1807 pages, 5 volumes.

Graduates and students of Kamehameha School onboard the Itasca, 4th expedition, January 1936. Back row, left to right: Luther Waiwaiole, Henry Ohumukini, William Yomes, Solomon Kalama, James Carroll. Front row, left to right: Henry Mahikoa, Alexander Kahapea, George Kahanu, Sr., Joseph Kim. (Photo courtesy George Kahanu, Sr.)
Graduates and students of Kamehameha School onboard the Itasca, 4th expedition, January 1936. Back row, left to right: Luther Waiwaiole, Henry Ohumukini, William Yomes, Solomon Kalama, James Carroll. Front row, left to right: Henry Mahikoa, Alexander Kahapea, George Kahanu, Sr., Joseph Kim. (Photo courtesy George Kahanu, Sr.)

Hui Panala‘au: Hawaiian Colonists in the Pacific, 1935–1942

Interviews with eight men who occupied the isolated Line Islands in the South Pacific in the late 1930s and early 1940s in order to establish territorial jurisdiction for the United States. They talk about their experience and reflect on its significance in their lives and on history. July 2006, 298 pages, pdf on CD-ROM, photographs.

Re-creation of the battle between police and strikers on September 9, 1924 in Hanapepe. (Drawing by Ray Higuchi, Honolulu Star-Bulletin.)
Re-creation of the battle between police and strikers on September 9, 1924 in Hanapepe. (Drawing by Ray Higuchi, Honolulu Star-Bulletin.)

The 1924 Filipino Strike on Kaua‘i

The bloodiest confrontation in Hawai‘i labor history cost the lives of sixteen Filipino strikers and four Hawaiian policemen at Hanapepe, Kaua‘i on September 9, 1924. Visayan workers, their wives, plantation and government officials, and other observers talk about the strike and how it affected them. July 1979, 973 pages, 2 volumes, photographs.

Statehood celebration at ‘Iolani Palace, 1959. (Photo by George Bacon.)
Statehood celebration at ‘Iolani Palace, 1959. (Photo by George Bacon.)

Perspectives on Hawai‘i’s Statehood

Nine political leaders, aides, observers, and scholars discuss Hawai‘i’s statehood movement and the socio-political issues of post-World War II America which influenced it. June 1986, 186 pages, 1 volume. Videotape available.

Maui, Hawaiian islands, Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C.
Maui, Hawaiian islands, Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C.

Tsunamis in Maui County: Oral Histories

Interviews with Maui and Moloka‘i residents were conducted in 1999 by the Pacific Tsunami Museum to collect the stories of tsunami survivors and to promote tsunami safety. The interviews followed a life history format with emphasis on recollections of tsunami experiences. March 2003, 501 pages, 1 volume.

Kuwahara Store was one of the few structures on the ocean side of Kamehameha Avenue in downtown Hilo to survive the 1946 tsunami. (Pacific Tsunami Museum)
Kuwahara Store was one of the few structures on the ocean side of Kamehameha Avenue in downtown Hilo to survive the 1946 tsunami. (Pacific Tsunami Museum)

Tsunamis Remembered: Oral Histories of Survivors and Observers in Hawai‘i

Thirty individuals, mainly residents of Hilo and Laupahoehoe, recall their experiences before, during, and after the destructive 1946 and 1960 tsunamis. April 2000, 980 pages, 2 volumes, photographs.

Jerome Relocation Center, Dermott, Arkansas.Young children at Jerome Relocation Center. (NARA - 539502) by Van Tassel, Gretchen, Photographer [NARA record: 8467722]
Jerome Relocation Center, Dermott, Arkansas.Young children at Jerome Relocation Center. (NARA - 539502) by Van Tassel, Gretchen, Photographer [NARA record: 8467722]

Unspoken Memories: Oral Histories of Hawai‘i Internees at Jerome, Arkansas

Fifteen interviewees, ranging in age from seventy-two to eighty-eight, are interviewed about their families’ wartime and early postwar experiences. March 2014, 604 pages, 1 volume, photographs.