Few personal accounts have been written about early Korean immigrants (yi-min) to Hawaii. In The Dreams of Two Yi-min Margaret Pai recounts the experiences of her parents Do In Kwon and Hee Kyung Lee while unfolding the rich fabric of Korean society and culture in Japanese-occupied Korea and Hawaii s Korean immigrant community during the early years of this century. Pai tells her mother s arrival in Honolulu as a picture bride and of her return to Korea and subsequent imprisonment by the Japanese for her participation in the demonstration of March 1 1919. Pai also tells the story of her father--a man deemed odd intelligent and even crazy by friends and competitors alike-- and of his passion for inventing and talent for business. The Dreams of Two Yi-min is an honest and affectionate portrait of two courageous and strong-willed people. It is the story of the search for a good life a search that forms a part of the larger history of the Korean experience in Hawaii.