First Entry: January 20, 2021

The Yamashita Foundation of Hawai`i (TYFH) is deeply committed to supporting the diverse peoples and communities across the Hawaiian Islands, through its values of education, leadership, community and civic affairs, health and human services, and culture and the arts. The foundation was started by six Yamashita family members in 2020, who sought to give back to their community in Hawai`i. This original Board of Directors was inspired by family members from previous generations who were involved in social work, education, and community engagement in Hawai`i. The history of both family members who provided inspiration are highlighted in this first blog post.

Pearl Nobuko (Kaneshige) Yamashita was born in November 1920, in Honolulu, Hawaii. She attended St. Andrew’s Priory, graduating in the late 1930’s, then continued on to receive her bachelor’s degree from The University of Hawai`i (UH) in the early 1940’s and her master’s degree in early childhood education from The University of Iowa in the late 1940’s. Having taught in the Department of Education (DOE) between her undergraduate and graduate degree, Pearl returned to work for the DOE after she received her master’s degree and got married in the late 1940’s.

She took a break from working from 1951-1958, when all four of her children were born. After her children were born, she taught at the University Laboratory School (then “University Elementary”) and eventually moved on to UH’s College of Education, where she worked for many years. Along the way, Pearl was retrained in special education, and involved in the initiative to provide career opportunities for people with special needs at Helemano Plantation on the North Shore of O`ahu. Pearl also served on the board at the Plantation. She and her husband also created a scholarship, the “Pearl N. and Paul T. Yamashita Scholarship in Special Education” in the College of Education at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa.

Mary Masumi (Nishikawa) Yamashita was born in November 1926, in Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawai`i. She attended Farrington High School, graduating in 1944, then continued on to receive her bachelor’s degree from UH in the late 1940’s and her master’s degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, in the early 1950’s. Since flying was uncommon back then, she took the steamer boat from Hawai`i to California for around seven days, followed by a train from California to Missouri for around three days. After Mary graduated from Washington University, upon her return to Hawai`i, she worked in student services at UH and provided social services at Kalihi Palama Settlement.

She stopped working after getting married in 1952 and having her first child in 1953. Around 1962, once her youngest child of three was four-years-old, she went back to school and work, studying elementary education. She taught at Parker Elementary and Maunawili Elementary starting in the early 1960’s. Mary was very connected to the church, as she attended Harris Methodist Church during grade school, where she found her high school social circle. In Missouri, searching for housing as a Japanese American during World War II, she experienced difficulty renting an apartment until the Quakers took her in, providing support while she was so far from home. Mary’s husband and children were required to go to Sunday School throughout the 1950’s, 1960’s, and 1970’s.

Thanks to Grandma Pearl and Grandma Mary for instilling values of education, acceptance, and giving back to society into all of us on the Board of Directors of TYFH. We are forever grateful we had both of you in our lives to mentor, guide, and inspire us. This blog post is to honor you. Special thanks to Pearl’s daughter, Margaret, and Mary’s daughter, Amy, for providing the historical details for this post.