The Korean Grandfather's Kitchen

When we were visiting Hawaii last month, we enjoyed the Lyman Museum in Hilo. As part of their commitment to the many ethnic groups that make up Hawaiian society, they offer The Korean Grandfather's House. Mainly targeted to children and school groups, several rooms are furnished to illustrate life in rural Kora in the 1930s. Immigration from Korea to Hawaii actually took place in around 1905, I learned in another part of the museum, but this exhibit originated elsewhere.

The kitchen in this house was particularly interesting to me, especially the utensils, the low ovens below the counter top/stove, and the baskets hanging on the wall. There wasn't actually much written documentation. Costumes and props in an adjacent room suggest that children visiting the museum are encouraged to act out what they imagine to be the life of this house.