Bernice Kisako Hirai
Bernice Hirai kept on looking for kamon and genealogy of the people of Hawaii for many years with a group that was dedicated to understanding where they had come from. The past that holds knowledge and treasure that is our own and is to be made of good use. The more she looked for the past of the people of Hawaii the more it taught her regardless of any sort of ethnicity or mixture of people that called the islands home. Some may think that ignorance is bliss, but understanding is awakening, because understanding that the ancestors who lived in Hawaii didn’t only have relationships with the people, but the values that are of the people of the land. Bernice would see that genealogy and kamon would lead to the Japanese laborers that would arrive by ships to what they believed would be a land of opportunity and bliss, but ended up working backbreaking jobs and hard lives, but they still maintained their family crests and their villages they came from. An Identity through a Crisis After leaving Japan they would be mixed in their culture and their values in such a way that they would be only seen as Hawaii-Japanese and while incorrect they would be so in touch with the region they would be referred to Japanese as “Hawaiians”. This would only become more inclusive to the Hawaii-Japanese who would maintain strong cultural traditions by establishing Buddhist Temples, Japanese Schools, and share knowledge of Japanese things. If a person left Japan in those days they were no longer Japanese in the eyes of others and when they would return would be seen as a Foreigner. Things would only get more complicated as mixed ethnicities were viewed as “Hafu” and when trying to identify as Japanese they would not be accepted as Japanese due to aesthetics. If they were half of another ethnicity they weren’t enough of that part either, which led to a ethnic identity crisis, but the genealogy doesn’t make it confusing, but more beautiful as it explains the richness of the ethnic historical past. Genealogy Connection to Hawaii Crests Bernice would discuss her interest in genealogy with her friends Tomoyo Yanagihara and Barabara Kawakami to further understand the way they were tied to design. Tomoyo had been a lifelong fascination of Japanese Family Crests known as “Kamon” that were in Hawaii Families that were mostly mixed up in ethnicity mixtures and it would be interesting to trace such crests back to Japan. Barbara Kawakami would be the knowledgeable source of plantation knowledge and particularly the placement of crests on family clothing. Together this group would influence many people into searching for their crests and inspiring them to travel to Japan in search of their families home prefectures or just to see things as a person interested in family crests. Bernice would be known by many simply as Miss Hirai the Koto Professor, but she had so many other talents in her search for understanding of family lineage. She taught students at the Jodo Mission of Hawaii that would foster a better understanding of Japanese Culture in the United States and with the residents of Hawaii. Bernice explained the music in such a wonderful way, the elegance of Japanese Hawaiian things, and even the design of kamon. Details like how to make it properly in its designs and so forth. Meeting Bernice was truly a gift to her students as she would keep the Japanese culture bridging things through language and still make it understandable as something of Hawaii Local Culture. It takes so much work and so much time to read so many books about Hawaii Local Culture and have it bridge over, it is an example of her dedication to families in Hawaii, she didn’t look over any details of lineage and included everything. Not her family tracking notes, not anything, all things were carefully looked at with each part of the family looked at bit by bit. She's a real stickler she said and can’t let anything be overlooked as it's all important and none that isn’t important. Hawaii Ethnic Kamon The origin of Hawaii Kamon has not been formalized and was experimented with with designs since the 1990s. Students who went to Japanese club groups because of their ethnic mixture would come to understand both their Hawaiian side and their many other parts to come up with their own interpretations of what their own Hawaii Kamon would be. The most notable Hawaii Kamon is the Local Crest Design of senator Daniel K Inouye where it incorporated Lauhaula Weave. Local Japanese groups found the designs to be distasteful and Local Hawaiian groups found it not authentic and more Japanese than Hawaiian, so many of the designs would remain a topic not discussed, but always thought of by those who were interested in family crests. While Kamon were originally to show honor and pride In Japan, the Hawaii Kamon was shown for family pride, and connecting people through social groups. Much of its Japanese formality has been not of interest with the Local culture being more about caring for people in the community than demonstrations of exclusivity. Hawaii Kamon was the start of an exploration of family and genealogy by many to get them interested in family trees and asking the question “where am I from?”. With values like the “Hanai” of adopting someone into the family the Hawaii Kamon would be a conversation starter at times as well. Old Fashioned Traditionalists will stick to Japanese Kamon and strictly and solely Japanese Ethnic Genealogy. But, those who want to think a bit more in the way of possibilities and unique designs to Hawaii will take interest in Hawaii Kamon and explore all parts of their Genealogy and not a single ethnicity to define them.
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