Mazie Hirono biography

Synopsis

Early Years

Mazie Keiko Hirono was born in Fukushima, Japan, on November 3, 1947, to an American mother, and lived in Japan for the first seven-plus years of her life. When she was around 8 years old, Hirono's mother, fleeing her alcoholic husband, left the country with Mazie and her older brother for Hawaii. Mazie's baby brother was left with his grandparents in Japan, and the three went to Hawaii two years later.

Despite not knowing how to speak English, Mazie Hirono was enrolled in elementary school, where she landed her first job—student cashier in the lunchroom. Several years later, Hirono graduated with honors from Kaimuki High School and put herself through school at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1970. From there, she attended law school at Georgetown University, graduating in 1978. When she wasn't busy with her studies, Hirono tutored, volunteered at a mental hospital, and worked for a summer with at-risk teens through a YWCA program.

Life of Civil Service Begins

In 1980, Hirono decided to take her service to others to the next level, running for a seat in the Hawaii State House of Representatives. She won her race and took her seat in January 1981 (a post she held until 1994), and eventually came to chair the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee. From this position, Hirono led consumer protection efforts—spearheading a law extending expiration dates on gift cards, among other work in this capacity—and insurance reform.

In 1994, Hirono was elected lieutenant governor of Hawaii and led efforts to bolster the state's tourism industry. Also, as she had done in the state House of Representatives, as lieutenant governor, she fought to revamp insurance laws and extended her reach into the worker's compensation realm, reforming that infrastructure as well.

In 1998, Mazie Hirono once again ran for lieutenant governor, winning by a razor-thin margin. Once re-elected, Hirono was back to work, becoming president of the National Commission on Teaching, the Hawaii Policy Group and America's Future. She also launched the first wide-ranging Pre-Plus program, which paved the way for universal pre-school education in the United States. When the end of her second term came along in 1998, Hirono could not seek another re-election due to term limits, and, thusly, a change of pace was in order.