Kapiolani
Community College Horizons 2001
Kapiolani
Community College
Horizons 2001
“Sumimasen, excuse me.” This ship is very crowded,
ten more minutes until we get off such an awful place. Did I make the right
decision to marry a man I hardly know? I really miss everyone at home, especially
obaasan; I want to go back home. But I know I can’t, I don’t have
a future back home. All I know is that Masato is a good man and a handsome one
too; he will take good care of me. Maybe I can even go back to school. With
all the money that Masato makes, he can surely afford it.
“Excuse me, sumimasen, please stop pushing.” This is such a crowded
place; I can’t wait to get off this ship. Buuuuuuuu,buuuuuuuu,buuuuuuuu.
We are here, I will soon meet my husband and start a new life.
“Chotto matte kudasai! Please wait a moment! I need to give you instructions
before you leave the ship. Follow Satosan and he will take you to immigration
station. Then to another area where you will need to stay until further notice.
Don’t even think of trying to run away, follow my instructions. This way
please.”
Well, this is it, I can’t seem to move my feet; I have frozen in one place.
“Akimotosan move it!”
My heart is pounding so fast, I feel like I am about to faint. My knees are
getting weak. Well, here I go. So this is Hawai‘i. Looks similar to Japan,
so many Japanese people. He is very dark; I wonder what he is? What language
is that I hear? What is that smell? So many different things here in Hawai‘i.
It is now my turn to check in.
“Passport please.”
“Yes, here it is. Yes, I am Eiko Akimoto. I will be marrying Masato Tagawa
today. Domo arigatto, thank you, goodbye.”
Where do I go now? I believe the man said go down the hall and enter the first
room on the right. These are some of the girls from the ship. This must be the
place. I need to sit down. I feel so tired, I smell, and I look dirty. Masato,
I only wish for happiness in our lives. I will be a good and loyal wife. I will
give you children, and you will not regret the day you married me.
“Iguchisan, is that a picture of your husband? He is a good looking man.
This is my husband-to-be, Masato Tagawa. Thank you, he is handsome. He works
on a plantation and he makes a lot of money. I am very lucky to have found him.
“Iguchisan, do you know how long we have to wait? Another hour? I wonder
if they will allow us to go to the bathroom and clean up before they allow the
men to come in? I would really like to smell good and look good for Masato before
he sees me for the first time.
“Excuse me sir; is there a bathroom nearby for us to freshen up?”
“Yes, across the hallway, but we need to wait for all the women to come
in and I will check off your names as you go in and out to the bathroom.”
It has already been an hour and a half, and the men are still not here. I hope
everything is all right, I can’t go through another disappointment. I
have already been through too many hardships in my short life.
Father and mother, hope you are with me today. Father, hope Masato is truly
a good man like you were. And mother, I hope to be almost as good a woman as
you were.
The men are coming in! I will close my eyes, and when I open them, Masato will
be in my sight. Where is he? Did he change his mind about marrying me? I can’t
find him!
There he is! He looks even more handsome in person; I guess he came a little
late. Should I go up to him? But I don’t want to seem anxious. I’ll
wait here for him to walk up to me. “Be strong Eiko, “ I tell myself,
“you can do this, and everything will be fine.” Here he comes, it’s
getting hot all of a sudden, and I’m starting to sweat. Breathe in slow
and deep. Breathe out, that’s it.
“Arigatto gozaimasu, yes, I am Eiko Akimoto. Are you Masato Tagawa?”
I looked at him as he said, “Yes.” I was so nervous; all I could
do was took at him as he looked at me.
All the couples partnered up with one another and the ceremony began. As the
man read the vows we were about to take, I started to think about the life I
left behind. I thought about my sisters, Yuki and Kana. I never even had a chance
to say goodbye. If I have any children, I will name my girls after my sisters
so they will always be with me. I thought about grandmother, obasan, how she
took care of me the best she could. I suddenly became sad and tears came from
my eyes. Next thing I knew, I missed the whole ceremony except for the part
we all said, “I do.” My sadness soon turned into happiness as I
heard Masato say, “I do,” too.
Masato asked if I was crying because I didn’t want to marry him. I told
him I was not disappointed and that I was actually happy to be married him.
After we signed the papers to legalize our marriage, Masato took my hand and
brought me outside to a car that was similar to the one that was in the picture
he sent me. We got into the car as it took us to my new home, our new home.
I thought my journey of a new life began when my parents died and I went to
live with obasan. I was wrong. I thought my journey was sure to begin when I
got on the Furu as I made the long trip to Hawai‘i. I was wrong once more.
My journey began when I made the commitment to Masato, to be his wife forever,
when I said, “I do.”
Throughout my life, I went through many obstacles that I could not control,
obstacles that kept me from going forward. As I vowed to be Masato’s wife,
I was in control, I could say yes or no. This is where I begin my journey, a
journey that I start on my own, of course with the help of Masato, my husband.
An exchange photograph of Kama Asato at 16. She was an Okinawan picture bride in 1920. The photograph was one of several early Japanese brides included in the book, Japanese Immigrant Clothing in Hawaii 1885-1941, by Barabara F. Kawakami. Kawakami notes that most of the Okinawan picture brides were married in a Christian ceremony perfomed at the immigration station. Few had a second ceremony or reception. Kama Asato collection.
Reproduction by permission of Barbara F. Kawakami.
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