Reflections of Palama Settlement II – Oral History

Established in 1896, Palama Settlement has served residents primarily in the Kalihi-Pālama neighborhoods by offering a wide range of educational, recreational, athletic, cultural, social, health, and community building programs and services for children, youth, adults, and senior citizens. Palama Settlement is crucially located in the lowest-income neighborhood of Honolulu, where numerous waves of immigrants have made the area their first Hawaiʻi home.

In 2022-2023, stories from community members, business people, athletes, artists, staff, and social workers were recorded as they shared their personal experiences, their ancestry, and their time at Palama Settlement. Their voices provide significant insight to understanding the history of Palama Settlement and its impact on populations that have been historically underserved, while inspiring the next generation with their life learning reflections and resilience of the human spirit.

This project is the second in a series; the first was recorded in 1996 during Palama Settlement’s Centennial, by the Center for Oral History. Click here to access the transcripts from that collection. This program is funded by a grant from the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and is in partnership with the Center for Oral History in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Social Sciences. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these oral history interviews do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.