06/05/2026
“Respect, culture and ʻike were a way of life," shares Naomi. "Culture lives on through teaching, dedication and heart.”
Naomi, a resident at Atria El Camino Gardens, is a proud Korean Era U.S. Army veteran, lifelong ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi speaker and respected Loea, or hula master.
Raised in a traditional Hawaiian home, Naomi has spent more than 60 years teaching hula and preserving the language, history and traditions that shaped her life. Today, her students live all around the world, carrying her lessons and legacy with them.
“There’s beauty in becoming – in the slow shaping of a life you are proud to call your own.”