All over the world, in every nation, there are people who are considered cultural treasures. They love the land, the people and the tradition; but they are humble and modest people. In Hawaii there are a handful of people who can be considered of this prestige. James is one of these people. Through his involvement with Hawaiian culture and history, and through his museum and books, James is one of these cultural treasures. From the date of his birth, James lived on the island of O'ahu. He saw Hawaii from the days of the sugar plantations to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. By explaining his life from birth to today, it can be shown that even though he is one of many people of his generation, he is a cultural treasure. James' background is one of the many things that sets him apart from other cultural treasures. It has played such an important role in Hawaii's history, especially the parts considered negligible by most people. James was one of thousands of people who worked on the Waialua Sugar plantations. According to an online article, "The plant produced 8 percent of the sugar in Hawaii... However, the plantation was unable to increase its yield of tons of sugar per acre. The Waialua sugar mill permanently closed in October 1996 due to of concerns about profits and was the last sugar plantation on the island of Oahu.” (Waialua) James had spent years working loyally on the plantation until a few years before it closed. had made a huge mark on his life. James said, “well, I was good at math, when I was 13 the school recognized that when I was in seventh grade. So the plantation offered me a job in the engineering department…. in the middle of the paper... remembering the past. Those who have spent their whole lives looking to the future never forget to look back, to realize the importance of the past and to see how the future can change. Works Cited Cook, Chris. "News." News. Np, April 4, 2013. Web. January 28, 2014.."Cultural Treasure: James Gim Yei Ho." Telephone interview. January 30, 2014. Gee, Pat. “The Chinatown Museum is moving.” Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News. Honolulu Star-Bulletin, October 7, 2001. Web. January 31, 2014..Mohr, James C. Plague and Fire: The Burning of Honolulu's Chinatown. New York: Oxford UP, 2005. Print."Waialua Sugar Mill." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 November 2013. Web. 28 January.2014. .