Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 3, 1 March 2011 — A LETTER FROM A BOY TO HIS MOTHER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A LETTER FROM A BOY TO HIS MOTHER

Dear Mother, Happy New Year to you: — I received your letter of 8 December, and was

overjoyed to read it and know that you two are doing well. I also got the newspapers that you sent, and I was delighted to read the news of my beloved land. We are faring well. We are staying at this hotel, and they don't celebrate New Year's here, except for the Scottish, who eall it "The Scotch New Year." We imagine that you are all at this moment eating pig with poi. As for us, we are having ehieken on this side of the world. When we arrived in New York, we had no time to go see [Tandy] Kaohu

McKenzie, but we heard how famous he was for his singing. New Yorkers have named him "The Hawaiian Caruso." I did not get a ehanee to meet with my friend, Boy Hoopii. Before we eame here to England, I heard that he was in Los Angeles, California, and not here in London. These are the only Hawaiians who have eome to Europe to sing professionally: Mekia Kealakai and his wife [Mele Nawaaheihei], Joe Puni, John Polihale, Diamond Kekona, Charles Clark, William Martin, John Moe, Joe Kekuku, Gabriel Papaia, Herman Kekua, Joe Kalana, Lewis Thompson, one other person, and us. I am thinking that I don't want to return to school to study because for now, my voice is niee. And when my contract is done, I will

return to Hawaii. I've had enough of seeing the world, and now it's time to think of the future — to return home to work. I am trying to save my money, and if I

accumulate a sufficient sum, Iam coming home for good. Money is my only friend here, and at home also. If you have no money, you have nothing. If you have money, you ean have anything you desire. Some people I've met up with in America have been singing for ten or more years, but they don't save their money. I have a kind promoter now; he doesn't get angry and is very patient. If we are in trouble, he takes good care of us. He has had us perform before the distinguished and

wealthy people of America and Canada, and he promotes our name and makes us famous. We are very satisfied with him. I received the newspapers you sent, and read a letter written by a Hawaiian boy, talking about how there is a lot of money to be made here singing; the work hours are short and it is not tiring. This is quite true, if you work under a contract. However, if you have no contract, you won't find work singing at a hotel or at a theater house. There are some Hawaiians here that are currently unemployed, and they are returning to America by working on ships — pouring oil into the engine, or as engineers. Joe Puni them are playing here, and when their contract is

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