Hiram Fong Was the First Hawaiian in the Senate
Hiram Fong, the son of Chinese immigrants who arrived in Hawaii to work in the sugar plantations in the early 1920s, achieved the distinction of being the first Hawaiian elected to the United States Senate.
During his more than two-decade career as a senator, he earned the nickname “Man of the Pacific.” He became a strong advocate for Asian-American constituents, effectively serving as their representative. Fong also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
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