WEBVTT

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[English voiceover by Barbara Kawakami]
In our days, the Japanese men immigrated

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to Hawaiʻi as laborers.

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That’s how the women came
to Hawaiʻi as brides.

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In those days, we had no choice.
Our parents made the decision for us.

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(narrator)
The history of women in Hawaiʻi includes

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the picture brides who came
from Japan, Okinawa and Korea

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in the early decades of the 20th century.

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Although the Japanese, Okinawan
and Korean immigration began

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in 1885, 1900 and 1903 respectively,
and while we have recently had an influx

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of Asian immigrant women
from 1965 to the present,

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the major picture bride period started
in 1908 and continued until 1924.

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[background music]

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(Chris Conybeare)
These photographs form part of a slideshow

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that is based on life history interviews
with 20 women,

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each one over 80 years of age.

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We join Dr. Alice Yun Chai
and Barbara Kawakami,

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who co-authored the Picture Bride study
and photo presentation.

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They will share
both photographs and stories

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about the women called ʻpicture brides’
who have shaped Hawaiʻi’s history.

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Their collaboration began
when Dr. Chai asked students

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to conduct life history interviews
with elderly immigrant relatives.

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They thought their grandmothers
were just nice, sweet...