Happy New Year! There’s only room for 220 words in this issue’s Dialogue. So, here goes.
Due to the size of the venue, only a limited number of people were able to attend the June 7, 2018, Gannenmono Symposium at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel to listen to the various presentations. The speakers graciously allowed the Herald to publish the text of their presentations so that we could share it with you, our readers. In this edition you will find the texts of Irene Hirano Inouye, Dr. Mark McNally, Dr. Akemi Kikumura Yano, Dr. Masako Iino and Dr. Michael Chun. University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa American Studies professor Dr. Dennis Ogawa spoke, as well, but not from a text. He asked that we share these thoughts that he believes reflect the “spirit and essence” of his presentation.
“The history of the Gannenmono is inspiring because it is all about individuals, who, out of their own free will, their own accord, chose to work, stay and cast their lot with the people of Hawai‘i. For the Gannenmono, Hawai‘i was special. In Hawai‘i, people were recognized as family. Being Japanese made them no less Hawaiian, and being Hawaiian made them no less Japanese. Hawai‘i was home for everyone.
“Truly, the Gannenmono are a living testament of recognizing human beings as human beings — dealing with humanity as family.”
