doi:10.7916/se12-6z27Oral history interview with Eric Kusunoki, 2022Kusunoki, Ericoral historiesmixed materialPresidents--United StatesPresidents--Inauguration.--United StatesHawaiian guitar musicKahoʻolawe Island Reserve (Hawaii) BombingKusunoki, EricObama, BarackTeachersPunahou SchoolEric Kusunoki recalls his early years in Waikiki, where his father learned to cook and opened an ice cream parlor. He reminisces about the Hawaiian food he grew up on, conjuring the smells and flavors of the dishes from his childhood. Eric discusses his pathway to becoming an educator and how he came to be a homeroom instructor to Barack Obama. He remembers Obama as polite and well-mannered and also recalls a moment of adversity that Obama faced. Eric makes astute observations on the Punahou School program and ethos and notes how providing a consistent homeroom instructor gave students a better relationship with their teachers. He discusses the Hawaiian Renaissance, the bombings of Kaho'olawe, and the emergence of Hawaiian music as being culturally significant during the 1970s, while Obama attended Punahou. Eric fondly remembers his time in Washington D.C., where he attended the inauguration and met with President Obama at the White House, noting that it was an extraordinary moment for him and his wife. Speaking about Hawaii's influence on Obama, Eric emphasizes how people in Hawaii have learned to coexist and refers to how the aloha spirit is felt and expressed