 Aloha, and mabuhay. My name is Amy Ortega Anderson, your host for the weekly program of Pinoy Power Hawaii here on Think Tech Hawaii. First, I want to thank the wonderful support of the staff of Think Tech Hawaii for giving us the opportunity to come into your homes on a weekly basis. We are live on Tuesdays at 12 noon. Today our topic is the BitGosan, and I have a very interesting and colorful guest. He is no stranger to our community, also have done a wonderful job in empowering others. May I introduce to you the former Attorney General and also Attorney for No Fire, Technologies Incorporated, Attorney Ron Amamiya. Thank you, Amy. Amy, I am very pleased to be on the program, and I hope to have a very lively conversation with you. Well, thank you. We always do, Attorney. I learned a lot from you, and I thought you would be a great guest for the empowerment. And let's begin, talking story from a small key time. I can relate to the many stories that we always share, especially me growing up on the island of Lanai. So it's pretty much like where you grew up in Wahiawa. So tell us a little bit about your childhood. Yes. Well, Lanai is like where I grew up because they were both owned by Dole Pineapple. I was born in a place called Kimu Camp, 150 people. I spent my first 10 years in that camp. We had outdoor toilets. I can relate to that. And what else did we did not have? You know, we didn't have, we did have electricity, but... Limited supply, probably. Very limited, yes. And we had to take a bath outside. Okay, the banjo? Yes, the banjo, yes. So we had that kind of existence, and the roads were all dirt for about one mile until you got to Kaokonhua Road that leads down to Wahiawa. So that's the kind of existence we had right in the middle of the pineapple fields. And it was a wonderful upbringing. You could do a lot of bad things without being caught. They didn't have the modern technologies of the cell phone where you can instantly capture someone's moment. And the police were never around, right? They were already in Wahiawa town. Perhaps they were in the bulangan, watching the Kaok fight. I'm just kidding. Well, we did have Kaok fights naturally, but it was a real peaceful existence. You know, we didn't have a lot of temptations that kids today have. Exactly, and that's where I find it very, very interesting, and how laid-back life used to be, and yet we were content. Oh, very, very content. And one of the reasons is all of us were equal. No family had an edge over another. We're all families of dough, working for dough. So we couldn't very well say, oh, that family has more than us, or something like that, to make up an excuse if we didn't do something right. So that's probably what contributed to a more peaceful and orderly existence, right? Absolutely, absolutely. But going back to what you mentioned about camps, is it because it was run like a military? Is that what we call district today? No, not really. The kids were given a lot of freedom. Well, during the summers, my mother would make a pinto, lunch, and say, don't come back until supper time. So we had all that time to do mischief, if you can imagine. So we used to go down to the gulks, go fishing, picking lilicoi, guava, playing up at the park. There was no summer school, right, to occupy your time? Absolutely no summer school. We were on our own, shall we say. And we always had the older boys to look up to, who let us in mischief, but that's alright. You know, we didn't get into mischief of hurting people, just doing silly things. Well, if you did that today, leave your children unattended, they will call the cops and report you for abandonment. As I said, we're six, seven years old, out the door with your lunch, and don't come back until dinner time. And you're free to roam without having to worry about being kidnapped, or taking for ransom? No one would come into the camp, you know. So was it like a fence in territory? No, not at all, wide open. Wow, yeah. Very peaceful upbringing, and we were permitted to make mistakes and not get hurt by those mistakes. Really? Wow, I would think that if you made a mistake, you would pay dearly, because our parents are more strict and they expected so much more out of us. No, not really. There's one incident I should cite, a neighbor of mine came to me and said, his mother told him he had to sleep with the chickens that night. I said, what did you do? We're about eight years old. He said, well, I threw this little kitten down into the commode, you know, the outdoor toilet? Yes. And the mother said, if you don't get the chicken, I'm sorry, the kitten, out before evening, you're going to sleep with the chickens. OK. OK, so can you imagine, we are eight years old, one guy goes home to get AB, you know, stink fish. Another one gets a rope, a box, flashlight to get the cat out. OK. We had to help our friend, otherwise we would have had to have slept with the chickens. With the chickens, too. So we did exactly what we thought we should do and brought the chicken. I mean, again, the kitten out and washed the kitten with warm water. So... To get all the stinky out. Yes, and then presented the kitten to the mother. So the mother said, OK, you won't have to sleep with the chickens. Wow. So that was a great example of, you know, being able to do what you need to do without being punished, but paying the consequence. Yes, we were quite ingenious, you know, when you're given a lot of leeway, you come up with ideas on how to help your friends. It's better to do it synergistically when you think all together and get a common idea, and you succeeded. Yes, yes. Can you imagine? We were still able to do that in today's world. With all the modern technologies that we have, it seems like we don't use half of our brain because we let our computer gadget do the thinking for us. I mean. I believe so. Growing up in a camp like that where you can make mistakes and come up with solutions, helps you in later life. Like, it sure helped me when I went into the Army as a young officer to, you know, I had to make some quick decisions for my men. Survival. So, no, well, I didn't have to serve in the war, but I had to take care of, well, 30, 40 people, you know, in a platoon. So those experiences that I had. Help you through. Yes. It sharpens your thinking and gives you ideas on how to approach the problems that you have in later life. Wow. So those are like real life trials that you can apply to everyday situations. Especially in the military. Yes. Yes. Yeah. So it was helpful in that sense, you know. Yeah. So anyway, I lived at Kimo Camp for my first 10 years. Then I moved to Whitmore Village. Oh, okay. So is that like a progression from the camp to the village? There were like 1,800 people living in Whitmore. Oh, so. Way more. Whitmore was a conglomeration of all of the Dole camps throughout all of the pineapple fields. Okay. So that was like the center hub. Right? It was the only place where the Dole employees lived after the conglomeration. So was that considered like the city within the camp? I mean, it's like the big village, right? It is. It was big but yet small. Uh-huh. Yes. So where you were able to associate with the different nationalities, I mean, Filipinos? Well, we started in Kimo Camp. There were more Filipinos than the Japanese. Any other race? Yes. Right. And the same with Whitmore Village. Uh-huh. I would say maybe 60 percent were Filipinos, but we were all the same. All of our families worked for the pineapple camp. Right. Right. For Dole. See? So again. So your parents, what did they do? Like lunas or in management? My dad worked as a luna. As a luna. Uh-huh. My mom, no. She picked pineapples. Oh. Okay. So it's the typical, on Lanai where I grew up, the men, especially the educated ones would take on the managerial role like lunas or field boss. And then the women would do the other types of job, whether it was weeding or picking pineapples or sidelining, we call it, right? Right. Uh-huh. And the planting, which is a backbreaking job, was left for the men. Right. Right. And they used to tell me that the Filipino men were the best planters, they had strong backs. Well. They planted like 10,000 plants a day. A day. I can give you a reason for that, attorney. And that's because we start off as farmers and when we plant the rice field, you got to do it with a beat. Oh. I see. You're constantly on your feet, so your back will do the bending so that you can reach the ground to plant the grains. 10,000 plants a day. I mean, of course, you got paid by incentive, so they got paid a lot, but they earned it. But that's way better than working in the pineapple in the rice field. Absolutely. Yeah. In that really harsh sun and back home, we don't get suited up or protected. You know how you work in the pineapple fields? You put on the arm guard. You get the... Three layers of clothing. Yes. Uh-huh. Ruggles. Exactly. All those things are not available to us, so you would just work directly on that really hot sun. One year between my first and second year of law school, I came back to be a Luna for the company, and I had a gang of girls and women. Oh. Tell us about that, Azany. How was that one? Ten of them. Uh-huh. You know, it's hard work because you got to follow the machine, the boom, and put the pineapple... And pick the pineapple and flip them into the conveyor belt. Yeah. Yeah. And at times, a woman would have to use the bathroom. Right. Right. So, I would have to run in, take her line. And fill in. And fill in. Well, she did the bathroom. Yes. And then when she came back, I would jump out and be the Luna again. Wow. So, you filled in. Yeah. That's the bigger role of a Luna. Wow. What an interesting conversation we're having with former Attorney General Loran Amemiah, and we're talking about the small kid time with our title for our show today, and the beat goes on. We're going to continue our conversation after the shirt break on Think Tech Hawaii. We'll be right back. Aloha. I want to invite all of you to talk story with John Wahee every other Monday here at Think Tech Hawaii. And we have special guests like Professor Colin Moore from the University of Hawaii who joins us from time to time to talk about the political happenings in this state. Please join us every other Monday. Aloha. Welcome back to Pinoy Power Hawaii. Again, I'm your host, Amy Ortega Anderson, where we come to you every Tuesday at 12 noon. We're going to continue our talk, our segment. And the beat goes on with former Attorney General Ron Amemiah. He's also the Attorney for No Fire Technologies, Inc. So before we went on a break, we're talking about smoking time going up in a camp and a village. And I can really relate to your story, Attorney, because that's pretty much how I grew up on the island of Lanai. So when you were describing your gang of women and how the Luna, which was you, and that was very, very interesting time because you were young, just graduated from law school. Not yet. Not yet. Between my first and second year. Oh, OK. So you were on a summer break then. That's right. Oh, OK. But certainly showed leadership skills. And you were instantaneously given that title, Luna, the foreman. And I grew up with a lot of lunas. Some lunas were not as nice, but you sound like you were ready to fill in at any time for the women. Oh, yes. We had to, because otherwise one line would not have any pineapple stick. You would leave all the pineapples behind. If she was, let's say, on the 10th line, I would have to jump over 10 different rows to get there and tell her to hurry up. With your cover pants. Yes. So that was a very interesting time, summer that I spent working with. Well, I had the women. I had the young boys. I had. So did you have, like, a monso? Monso time. Monso is when the truck goes faster because you want to make bonus, right? Yes, oh, yes. We call that monso. Oh, yes. All of us were on incentive, shall we say. But you get 10 women, and then I'm going to make too much money. But they still worked hard. They worked real hard. Eight hours in the sun, hot sun. The dirt and every, all of the elements outside. I know. I know. I was like, I was so dark. See, that's the difference between now and then. Back then, all kids, well, as on the pineapple plantation, had to work during the summer. If you didn't work as a boy, you were called a sissy. See, so, I mean, no matter what, you had to go and work, right? Yeah. So those were valuable lessons, attorney, that I learned. I also learned a value of hard work and appreciated getting money and learning how to manage it. Absolutely. And two summers, I worked at the pineapple cannery in the Genek department. You have to put in 125 pineapples into the machine a minute. 125 a minute? Yeah, I mean, just because you were taking care of a lot of the trimmers and the packers, right? So one guy like me could maybe take care of 50 women. And at least two, three weeks, we would work 72 hours a week, six days a week for 12 hours a day. And that was hard work. Wow. Was that one of the reasons why you really concentrated on your education and eventually got your lawyer's degree? Well, I think it is an incentive to do as well as you can in school so that you can pretty much go into any field that you want. But I did work very hard in school. OK, so your desire, attorney, to further your education came from what? Was it something that your parents, especially your mother instilled in you? Hey, you better go to school so you don't have to work like us, you know? Yes, that was part of it. OK. We see, in my case, very interestingly, I went to Punahou for four years. Oh, Punahou? Because I played baseball. And I guess they needed baseball players, so I went there for four years. So just like you were brought in as an athlete? Well, they don't like to think of it that way, but yes. But I had the grades, too, so student-athletes, they called us. Wow. So I was very lucky. Four years, I got an excellent high school education. That is awesome. So you were sent there for, you didn't have to pay the high tuition? No, no, I got a scholarship. You got a scholarship. Yeah, wow. Nowadays, it's over 20 grand, right? Over, my grandson just graduated four years. OK. His parents were complaining about the amount of money they had to spend. Well, he went for 13 years. Oh, a professional student? Well, Kenny got into 12 years, right, professional at Punahou. But so you can imagine how much they paid in tuition. Yeah. When people go to Punahou, you're letting their professional students. Because you don't want to waste any of that precious time and money, you know? If you're not getting a scholarship, it's costing you a big dime. Absolutely. Yeah. Yes. So your sons are also successful attorneys. Was that something that, because they saw you doing what you're doing and that kind of planted the dream or instilled the value of education to your sons? You know, I really don't know, because I did not push them. You did not push them, wow. They had to make the decisions on their own. Because if I pushed them and they didn't like it, they would hold a grudge against me. You don't want to be blamed for it. Right. Right. So they went on their own. And they're doing what, luckily, they're doing very well. Really well. Yes. Yeah, I know you're really quiet about your kids' achievement. And unlike Filipinos, you know, we'd like to reiterate, repeat, you know? Oh, my son is a graduate from Harvard or UCLA. And he's the attorney for this and that. And you know what? We go on and on. You just said, oh, they're doing really well. So you must be very, very proud of that. Absolutely. Absolutely. And after Ponoa went to the University of Hawaii for four years. Again, I played baseball, so I got part of my tuition. So it pays to be smart. And a little. Intelligent. And athletic. Athletic, too. Yeah, that's a powerful combination. Yes, it is. So four years there, I got my commission to be an officer in the United States Army. I did my training in Fort Gordon, Georgia and in Augusta. I was first stationed at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, where we were testing all of our missiles. Thereafter, I went to Korea. Oh, it's peacetime Korea. But still, at times, there were some incidents that triggered some real concerns. After that, I served at the 25th Infantry at Scofield. I did a lot of training in the hills of Cahoku. And the unit I was with was then training to go to Vietnam, because Vietnam was starting to heat up. That's in 1964. So you were just doing the training. You helped to prepare them for the actual war in Vietnam. Oh, yes, we did a lot of maneuvering. But did you go to Vietnam and led your troop? No, I went to law school. Law school saved me from Vietnam. OK, so you diverted and learned a way to get out of the draft, right? Well, no, my two-year commitment was up as an officer. And I had applied to law school many months ago. So I didn't know that Vietnam would be happening. Oh, I see. But it saved you from going into war because of your commitment to continue your education. But didn't they have the draft that no matter what? No, no, but I went in as an officer, see. Oh, OK. So I didn't have to worry about that. You were excluded. Boy, it really pays to be smart, attorney. It helped in that sense. You get special favors. Yeah, we, well, I don't know about special favors. You don't have to sleep with a producer. Oh, no, no, if you go to war, you sleep with your men. You sleep with your men. No, that was like a side note in Hollywood, if you want to move ahead. But let's take Hollywood out of our conversation because that's another show. You know, my military career, I met so many different kinds of people. Right. So it's not just limited to the people from Hawaii? Oh, no, no, no, no one from Hawaii except me in all of the units I went to. Right. Georgia, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, Korea, and, well, Schofield Barracks. Right. So, excuse me. We're talking about, OK. It gave me a wonderful people education. You know, you met different people at all these different stations. And, well, you see, in my case, I grew up in Pineapple Plantation, one group of people. University of Hawaii, another group. In the army, another group. Law school, another group. I had a perfect people education. Wow. Not too many people, or as fortunate as me. So you would be perfect for a public relationship. Well. But anyway, our time is almost up. So if you could leave a word or an advice to the people that are listening, especially the young ones, what would you encourage them to do? I would say, do what is right. Do not do what is expedient, because in the long run, whenever you do what is right, you will be very satisfied with what happens at the end. Wow. Do what is right. Yes. That's a solid sound advice. And that's probably all you needed to tell your boys, your children, to just do the right thing. That's right. Oh, wonderful. Well, I know you've had a very successful job, from the pineapple field to the military, and serving others with your law degree. And you continue to do that, attorney, for the people. We want to commend you for the wonderful leadership that you've shown and shared, especially in our Filipino community. You're a common household name, especially for the politicians. Well, it's been a wonderful experience, and I've enjoyed all of it. Wonderful. Well, till today, my friends from Whitmore call me whenever their grandsons get in trouble. There you go to help save them. It's happened three or four different occasions. And for me, it's easy to do. But they're all scared, right? Going to court. Well, it looks like the beat goes on, attorney. You run on the media, and your job will continue empowering others. We've run out of time, and we encourage you to continue tuning into our weekly conversation here on Pinar Power Hawaii. Keep tuning into the many different programs that we have here on Think Tech Hawaii. And again, we express Aloha, Mabuhay, Maraming,