Konrad Ng reminisces about his connection with Maya Soetoro and the Obama family, remembering how they met during his time at the University of Hawaii. He reflects on raising two daughters with Maya in Hawaii, his interactions with Barack Obama, and his career in the arts as an educator, curator, and director. Ng recalls his memories at the inauguration, staying at the White House, and his time wor king with an interagency working group on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. He speaks of Obama's love for Hawaii and how it may have influenced his upbringing and politics. Ng brings up Hawaii's cultural diversity, traditions, kinship, and family life as all influential to Obama. Konrad then reflects on his own family he built with Maya, discussing Obama as Uncle Rocky to their two daughters
Presidents--United States; Presidents--Inauguration.--United States; Presidents--Family; Ng, Konrad Gar-Yeu, 1974-; Obama, Barack; Soetoro-Ng, Maya, 1970-; University of Hawaii (System)
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2022
Physical Description
41 pages
Note (Biographical)
Konrad Ng is a museum professional who, at the time of the interview, is the executive director at the Shangri-La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture, and Design. In addition, he has been the curator for the Honolulu Museum of Arts, a film programmer for t he Hawaii International Film Festival, and a director at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program. Konrad has also been an assistant professor of creative media at the University of Hawaii. He has studied at the University of Victoria and McGill University and received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Hawaii. Konrad is married to Maya Soetoro, Barack Obama's sister. They have two daughters together, Suhaila and Savita, whom they have raised in Honolulu, Hawaii
Note
Interviewed by Dr. Davianna McGregor and Landon Tom on Thursday, June 23 and June 29, 2022. This interview is part of the University of Hawai'i: Obama Presidency Oral History Project.
Note (Provenance)
Konrad Ng, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023