heritage paper

Hiroko
Our family tree has about 4 generations. Our family has an extraordinarily small history and can barely trace our roots back to Japan (we have no documentation of our family past 4 generations). The only history we have come from stories past down through our family. So when I asked my 80 year old aunt what happened in our past, she replied with one of our families few stories.
The known history of the Kurashige’s began with a young man named Ryusako and woman named Haru (my father’s great great grandparents). As recorded in his notebook, this is Ryusako’s story.
Haru has been with me forever. If there’s been one constant in my life, it’s been her. In 1897 I lost my job due to the westernization of Japan. Many jobs were lost and replaced by machines. I searched for jobs but meanwhile both I and Haru worked multiple small jobs every day. It was a true struggle for survival until the end of 1899, when we had to finally give in. We sold our house and became homeless. All we had was each other and the money from our house. In 1901 the money came in handy. Hawaii had just become an American territory and people immigrated there by the hundreds. We followed the trend despite not knowing what work was available. The trip was hard and the boat ride wasn’t pleasant. The steam ship was over maximum capacity with others like me, wanting a new life in a new place. It was on this boat ride that Haru and I decided to get married. We already knew we would be together for the rest of our lives so while filing her new name as an American she wrote Haru Kurashige (in case we never had enough money to have a real marriage).
There was only one job available which required a deep knowledge of English: I was determined to learn. It took me only a year to learn this language, which is very astonishing considering all I had were newspapers and books I found in the trash. By 1905 I had the job. The company I worked at imported and exported products to and from California. It was extremely inefficient and my boss seemed to have no experience at all. When I proposed we expand this business to Asia, he laughed and said, “Ryusako Kurashige, you are crazy!” This event prompted me to quit my job. I can’t say Haru was pleased with this action; it took 10 years of our life together to get this job. So in spite of my pride, I returned to my work begging for forgiveness. He gave me $100 and taunted me again telling me, “Get back on your boat to Japan!”
Over the next 5 years I started my own company. Seeing how poorly my last job was run, I decided to try. In the first year I almost ran his company bankrupt; in the next year I bought out his company. I’m sure he was surprised at my success.
Haru and I married officially that summer and had 4 children named Nakajiro, Junichi, Isamu, and Tetsuo. They were all beautiful children and using our new camera we took countless pictures of them. While I was working, Haru would be working at home on a scrapbook which would hopefully be passed down through generations.
By 1917 we were rich and had one more child named Hiroko. Hiroko was very special to us because she was different. She was the first girl of our children and didn’t cry at all as a baby and always was giggling and smiling. She was Haru’s favorite child. Pictures of her were the last addition to the scrapbook.
Eventually our bad luck caught up with us. It was the year of 1919 when everything was once again lost. While we were eating lunch, Tetsuo and Hiroko were playing in our room. Soon Tetsuo came walking in. “Do you guys smell something?” he asked.
Seconds after, we started to hear loud crackling pops. I immediately ran for Hiroko. Black smoke billowed out of the frosted shutters. . I rushed in and threw Hiroko over my shoulder.
Hiroko later died. Her developing lungs couldn’t breathe and she died of smoke inhalation. Losing her crushed Haru’s heart and as a family we have still not fully recovered.
My aunty explained that’s where his book ended. He continued his life, as did the rest of the family. Our history had gone up in flames, burnt with the rest of their possessions. This story was one passed down because it reminds us what’s important in life. Wealth may come and go but when a loved one is lost it will never be replaced.