Carolyn Sugiyama Classen

Carolyn Sugiyama Classen

Carolyn Sugiyama Classen’s family has always been a large part of the fabric of Kohala and she describes the businesses and roles that her family members played in the community. Her father, Frances, was the local dentist. Carolyn describes the hardships that Japanese endured during World War II when many were sent to internment camps. While she moved away from Kohala, she could still see the drastic changes that the closure of the plantation had on the community. And yet the enduring values of the town persist. She closes with advice for the next generation about the importance of education, as this was the way in which she and her family, over generations, rose out of their humble beginnings as plantation workers to playing important roles in the history of Kohala.

Interview Clips

Advice for the Future Generation | Carolyn Sugiyama Classen | Kohala Oral History Project

Kohala Oral History Project interview of Carolyn Sugiyama Classen. Subject: Advice for the Future Generation. Visit www.kohalaoralhistoryproject.com f... Read more

Sugiyama Family's Military Service | Carolyn Sugiyama Classen | Kohala Oral History Project

Kohala Oral History Project interview of Carolyn Sugiyama Classen. Subject: Sugiyama Family's Military Service. Visit www.kohalaoralhistoryproject.com... Read more

Introduction and Growing Up in Kohala | Carolyn Sugiyama Classen | Kohala Oral History Project

Kohala Oral History Project interview of Carolyn Sugiyama Classen. Subject: Introduction and Growing Up in Kohala. Visit www.kohalaoralhistoryproject.... Read more

Sugiyama Family History | Carolyn Sugiyama Classen | Kohala Oral History Project

Kohala Oral History Project interview of Carolyn Sugiyama Classen. Subject: Sugiyama Family History. Visit www.kohalaoralhistoryproject.com for more o... Read more

Day in the Life of The Sugar Plantation | Carolyn Sugiyama Classen | Kohala Oral History Project

Kohala Oral History Project interview of Carolyn Sugiyama Classen. Subject: Day in the Life of The Sugar Plantation. Visit www.kohalaoralhistoryprojec... Read more

How Kohala Has Changed | Carolyn Sugiyama Classen | Kohala Oral History Project

Kohala Oral History Project interview of Carolyn Sugiyama Classen. Subject: How Kohala Has Changed. Visit www.kohalaoralhistoryproject.com for more or... Read more

Japanese American History in Hawaii | Carolyn Sugiyama Classen | Kohala Oral History Project

Kohala Oral History Project interview of Carolyn Sugiyama Classen. Subject: Japanese American History in Hawaii. Visit www.kohalaoralhistoryproject.co... Read more