[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#fff2cd” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MasterChungShan_HiloBay_Header900x267.png” alt=”MasterChungShan_HiloBay_Copyright_Contact guardianairwaves@gmail.com” title_text=”MasterChungShan_HiloBay_Header900x267″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#bd4b31″ max_width=”1100px” module_alignment=”center” custom_padding=”35px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][et_pb_fullwidth_menu menu_style=”centered” dropdown_menu_bg_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.35)” dropdown_menu_line_color=”#e09900″ dropdown_menu_text_color=”#fff2cd” dropdown_menu_active_link_color=”#e09900″ mobile_menu_bg_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.35)” mobile_menu_text_color=”#fff2cd” menu_icon_color=”#e09900″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” menu_font=”|600|||||||” menu_text_color=”#fff2cd” background_color=”#bd4b31″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|2px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_menu][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#fff2cd” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#243818″ header_text_color=”#3d572c” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_text_align=”left” header_4_text_color=”#3d572c” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_text_color=”#243818″ header_text_color=”#243818″ header_4_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_text_color=”#3d572c” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
by Aulii Mitchell, the son of Harriet Aana Cash Mitchell<\/p>\n
On the island of Hawai\u02bbi in a village near Hilo, Neheupalani, a direct descendant of Keawehiku, a high chiefess from the district of Waimea, married Kuamoana. They gave birth to a son and named him Kahaole\u02bb\u014dp\u016bnui, meaning the foreigner with the big stomach. Kahaole\u02bb\u014dp\u016bnui married Kamaka and they gave birth to a girl. They named their daughter Kahaole\u02bbau\u02bba, meaning the foreigner who does not give or who holds back. We can only wonder why the family repeated the use of the word haole (foreigner) in their names for there was no evidence that they had any foreign blood (Kai 1976:3).<\/span><\/p>\n There in the lands of K\u016bk\u016bau in the district of Hilo lived Kahaole\u02bb\u014dp\u016bnui and his wife Kamaka.\u00a0 Both Kahaole\u02bb\u014dp\u016bnui and his father served as konohiki or land agent for John Young I, called Olohana, and John Young II called Keoni Ana Ministers of the Interior for Kamehameha III. Although the whole ahupua\u02bba of K\u016bk\u016bau 1 had been given to John Young I by Kamehameha I as a reward for valuable assistance in one of Kamehameha\u02bbs battles, customary in Hawaiian culture, Kahaole\u02bb\u014dp\u016bnui\u02bbs family was considered to have rights to a part of it under the Great M\u0101hele land tenure system. When the Hawaiian land system was conformed to Western land ownership, Kahaole\u02bb\u014dp\u016bnui\u02bbs land was granted to him, Land Commission Award No. 3206 (Kai 1976:5*).<\/span><\/p>\n Enter Tong Yee A\u02bbii, a Chinese man from South China. He grew up in the village of Tong Ka in Zhongshan County, Guangdong Province. This was on the shores of the estuary of the Pearl River (the Chu Kiang) between Canton and Macao. In 1849 he followed the trail of gold to California. The next year (1850) Tong Yee A\u02bbii arrived by ship to the shores of\u00a0 Hilo on the island of Hawai\u02bbi. Hilo was still very much Hawaiian in language customs, and population. Tong Yee A\u02bbii joined a small group of Chinese men who had married Hawaiian women and became citizens of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Most of them were operating primitive sugar mills converting cane into sugar (Kai 1976:1*).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_text_color=”#242818″ header_text_color=”#3d572c” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_text_color=”#3d572c” custom_margin=”||-9px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In 1851 Tong Yee A\u02bbii married a beautiful sixteen-year-old Hawaiian girl, Kahaole\u02bbau\u02bba, the daughter of the chief Kahaole\u02bb\u014dp\u016bnui. As years went by Tong Yee A\u02bbii and Kahaole\u02bbau\u02bba would give birth to five daughters, all given melodious names that reflected their unique heritage, half-Hawaiian and half-Chinese, n\u0101 pua o Kina, meaning the flowers of China. Aana Hattie A\u02bbii, Aima Emma A\u02bbii, A\u02bblai Jessie A\u02bbii, A\u02bboe Lizzie A\u02bbii, and Mihana. All direct descendants of the high chiefess Keawehiku (Kai 1976:3*).<\/p>\n Soon after the birth of Mihana, perhaps because he had no son to carry on the Tong family lineage, Tong Yee A\u2019ii left his Hawaiian family, returning to his native village of Tong Ka in Zhongshan, Guangdong, China. There, he bore three children with his first wife, Choy Seh. Eventually, Tong Yee A\u2019ii traveled back to Honolulu, living there until his death in 1861. Seven years Tong Yee A’ii’s death, his only son, Tong Chong (aka Jack), sailed from his home in China to the Hawaiian Islands, where he founded a rice mill, the Sing Chong Co. in Honolulu. Sadly, the five daughters of Hilo and their half-brother Jack never met. Although it appears that the early Hawaiian and Chinese descendants were aware of both families\u2019 existence, over time the memory of the kinship was, unfortunately, lost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It was not until 148 years after the 1851 union of Tong A\u2019ii and Kahaole\u2019au\u2019a, that their Hawaiian and Chinese descendants found each other again, and, for the first time, came together united as one \u2018Ohana, at the 1998 Tong family reunion in Honolulu. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n *<\/span>*<\/span>Kai, Peggy, The story of A\u2019lai Aii: our Hawaiian-Chinese heritage<\/em>. c1976.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Tong-Yee-familyHome.png” title_text=”Tong Yee A’ii Family Home” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#242818″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Buddist-Temple-Hilo-1.png” title_text=”Buddist Temple Hilo ” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#242818″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#242818″ header_text_color=”#243818″ header_4_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_text_color=”#3d572c” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n by Wyleon Lo, grandson of Tong Phong –\u00a0March 1997<\/p>\n First, I have to thank Jo-Lynne Lee, whose librarian friend on the island of Hawaii gave her \u201cThe Story of A\u2019lai.\u201d* This book is a clear, loving account of great-great grandfather Tong Yee\u2019s Chinese-Hawaiian descendants, a branch we had lost touch with over the generations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Looking through this book, I was shocked to learn our connection with Ernest Kai, a famous Honolulu politician of the 1950\u2019s. I became curious to compare the flow of venerations from great-great- grandfather Tong Yee\u2019s two families. At that time I had no genealogy chart for their branch to compare with us, so I made a simple one. I found that Ernest, my mother Tong Kam Ha and my uncles Tin Yen and Tin Wai were all fourth generation from Tong Yee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Somehow this made all our branches seem very close and I decided to actually try contacting Ernest\u2019s family. However, when I began by looking in the telephone directory, I found 47 Kai\u2019s listed and none matched names given in the book. Then I remembered that Ernest and retired U.S. Senator Hiram Fong had been political colleagues. But when I called the Senator, I could only learn that Ernest had just one daughter who lived somewhere on Nuuanu Ave. and no further details.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Unable to continue the search for the Kai family, I decided to try other names in the [Story of A\u2019lai\u201d] book. \u201cBaker\u201d was another possibility, but there were over 100 listings in the phone directory. \u201cAluli\u201d had only 10 listing and 3 matched those in the book: Kep (short for Kepoikai), Irmgard, and Yuklin. I first tried calling Kep, who is also from the fourth generation and one of Emma Yuklin Akamu and Noa Webster Aluli\u2019s six children. I could only get a \u201cThis number is no longer in service\u201d recording. Next I tried calling Yuklin Aluli, assuming she was Emma Yuklin Akamu\u2019s granddaughter. I left messages with her law office but received no response. Then I called the number for Irmgard Aluli, composer of the songs included in the book. The other end of the line answered all my questions with a sweet, friendly voice. It really was Irmgard, widow of Auwae Leong Nane Aluli. She old me her brother-in-law Kep had at one time gone to China and located the family of A\u2019Lai\u2019s only son, Aloehu Akamu, in the village of Chung San. But Kep\u2019s health is failing now, keeping him home. For more information Irmgard gave me the number foe Kep\u2019s youngest sister Emma Akana Meyer. Kep and Emma are the only two living of Emma Yuklin Akamu and Noah Webster Aluli\u2019s six children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Irmgard also told me that Emma is very busy with religious work and it would be best to call her after six o\u2019clock. When I finally reached Emma, her voice was so warm and friendly it seemed we had already known each other for ages. We arranged to have lunch, by brother Waituck included, the following week in Chinatown, Thursday, January 30, 1997.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#242818″ header_text_color=”#3d572c” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_text_color=”#3d572c” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n On the day of the luncheon, Waituck and I were so excited we waited at the wrong restaurant for half an hour. When we realized the building actually had more than one restaurant, we ran for the right one. As we were anxiously looking around the front of the restaurant, Emma and the daughter who had accompanied her must have recognized us from my pre-arranged\u00a0<\/span>description: \u201cTwo half bald men with one carrying a white shopping bag.\u201d Emma and her beautiful daughter** dashed out and immediately hugged us. We were all truly like long lost friends finding each at last. After 147 years great-great-grandfather Tong Yee\u2019s two families were reunited. At that moment, I felt electricity going through my whole body. I could never in my life have imagined how happy I would be to discover unknown relatives. \u201cAunty\u201d Emma looked like a typical Chinese lady. Her daughter, A Stanford art graduate, showed her mixed heritage strongly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After introductions, Waituck and I began telling them what we knew about our family history. Great-great grandfather Tong Yee arrived in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1850. Although he already had a family in China, he married a young Hawaiian chieftess. After this marriage produced five daughters, he returned along to China in 1860. Unknown to his Hawaiian family, he came back to the island and died in Honolulu in 1862. He remains and part of his wealth were sent to his Chinese family in Tong Kah. This allowed his only son Tong Chong to come to Honolulu in 1868. After a stint at farming, Tong Chong started a rice mill, Sing Chong, at 1917 Maunakea Street. Later, he was able to bring over his older son, Tong Phong, (one of his six children) to Honolulu. Tong Phone attended Iolani, St. Louis and Columbia. After graduating, Tong Phong returned to Honolulu and started the First Chinese American Bank. The bank operated temporarily in the Sing Chong location, then moved a few months later to a new structure on the corner of King and Nuuanu. The modern, up-to-date interior of this banking house compared favorably with any in the city.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Although there were so many more things to talk about, our reunion with Emma could not be as long as we wished. Both Emma and her daughter had to leave for other commitments. We are hoping to get together again.*** Perhaps Kep, who is recovering from a stroke last year, will be able to join us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ___________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n *<\/span>Kai, Peggy, The story of A\u2019lai Aii: our Hawaiian-Chinese heritage<\/em>. c1976.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n **Emma\u2019s daughter is Meleanna Aluli Meyer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ***The first Tong Family Reunion in Honolulu was in 1998, where many descendants of Tong Yee\u2019s Hawaiian and Chinese families gathered for the first time in 148 years.\u00a0<\/span>The latest gathering was held July 26-30, 2019, in Honolulu with an extension tour of ancestral sites in the Hilo area. <\/span><\/p>\n A record number of approximately 90 people attended one or more events.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”He Ohana Kakou Apau. ” subhead=”We are All Family.” button_one_text=”Contribute Your Story” button_one_url=”https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/?page_id=1109″ _builder_version=”4.19.3″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_color=”#fff2cd” content_text_color=”#fff2cd” subhead_text_color=”#fff2cd” custom_button_one=”on” button_one_text_color=”#fff2cd” custom_button_two=”on” button_two_text_color=”#fff2cd” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n April 2022<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" OUR HISTORY1880s – Our Chinese-Hawaiian Beginnings The Five Flowers of China by Aulii Mitchell, the son of Harriet Aana Cash Mitchell On the island of Hawai\u02bbi in a village near Hilo, Neheupalani, a direct descendant of Keawehiku, a high chiefess from the district of Waimea, married Kuamoana. They gave birth to a son and named […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-template-blank.php","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-236","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=236"}],"version-history":[{"count":119,"href":"https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3979,"href":"https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/236\/revisions\/3979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/all-ohana.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}1998<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
How I Discovered our Living Hawaiian Relatives<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n