Interviews

1. Father retouching photos of picture brides

2. Getting married

3. Possibility of being adopted by aunt

4. Day Pearl Harbor was bombed

5. Working in the pineapple fields

6. Tree planting

Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

Possibility of being adopted by aunt

My family was very poor, and the reason why is because my father, being a photographer, there was no business during the Depression days. And so, I remember how my brothers would go on the roof to catch pigeons. And that would help put food on the plate. And as I mentioned, my mother had done laundry for five families. And because of that, I think, we were able to survive. But, somehow, you know, we had a big family, but we persevered. We were able to come through.

I remember when I was born, I was the sixth child, and there were five other mouths to feed. And I had an auntie who had a son, and she couldn’t have any more children. It was my mother’s younger sister. And my auntie wanted to adopt me, and it was very, very difficult, I know, for my family. But, my father used to say, “You give away pets, but you never give away children.” And to this day I'm very grateful, although it was very difficult for them, they kept me. And otherwise, fate would have been very different for me.

families

Date: December 15, 2003

Location: Hawai`i, US

Interviewer: Lisa Itagaki

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.

Interviewee Bio

Jean (Hayashi) Ariyoshi, who holds a B.A. in speech and a B.S. in math from the University of Hawai`i, met her future husband George Ariyoshi while earning her teaching credential and serving as a speech instructor. She also hosted a weekly television talent show. They married in 1955, a year after his election as a Democrat to the Hawai`i Territorial House.

Heavily involved in charitable and community causes during her husband’s tenure as Hawai’i’s governor between 1974 and 1986, she established the First Lady’s Volunteer Awards to honor Hawaii’s outstanding volunteers annually. After the end of her duties as first lady, she became a domestic and international philanthropic figure. (December 2003)

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