12/30/2024
Granddaughter POV: Grandpa and Grandma’s journey to the U.S. in the 70s wasn’t easy—immigrating first through Alaska, then New York City, before finally finding their home in Hawaii. When Grandpa talks about that time, he always says he was just chasing a dream. A dream not for himself, but for his future family. A dream that wasn’t about wealth or fame, but about something far more important—opportunity.
Leaving a life as a prominent businessman and restaurant owner behind, Grandpa and Grandma found themselves washing dishes, scrubbing floors, and doing whatever it took to save enough to open only half of the size to the place we all grew up in. Those very first customers, a Korean family visiting from Maui, are still vivid in his memory. It’s like he knew, from that moment on, he wasn’t just building a restaurant. He was building a legacy.
Today, as I stand in that now-empty restaurant with my children running around, I can’t help but think about how far they’ve come. Now on the backs of my dad and my uncle, forty-seven years of hard work, sweat, and sacrifice, and yet none of them have ever asked for anything more than for us to remember the importance of community and hard work. To them, it was never about the success; it was always about the journey, about the people, and about what was built along the way.
I thanked Grandpa this morning for everything he’s done, for all the sacrifices he made to give us a better life. And for the first time, he told me he was proud. At 95, with great-grandchildren running around for the last time in the very place he worked so hard to build, he said something I never thought I’d hear: “Everything has a beginning and an end. Don’t be sad it’s over. Be grateful for what it was, and for what it’s done for all of us.”
As hard as it is to say goodbye to this chapter, his words gave me peace. We have so much to be thankful for, and so many memories to carry with us. Grandpa, your dream has lived on in all of us—and in every corner of this life and family you helped build. To everyone, thank you and a hui hou!