Patsy Mink
Patsy Matsu Takemotot (better known as Patsy Mink) was born in Hawaii, on December 6, 1927. Mink was very determined to be a leader from a young age, being elected as president in her school, graduating from high school as valedictorian, and going to college that wasn't racially diverse. While applying to college, Mink found that not many women and women of color attended higher education or weren't accepted to universities for that matter, as was her case for a long time. After working as a private attorney and founding the Oahu Young Democrats association. Mink began campaigning to be elected as a congresswoman for Hawaii. In 1962, she won the Senate seat in Congress for Hawaii. Few years later, Mink also won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, making her the first Asian American women to serve in Congress. Coming from an interracial background and facing racial discrimination as a teen, Mink actively fought for gender and racial equality during her time as a U.S. political representative. While in Congress, Mink served on various committees including Education and Labor, Interior and Insular Affairs, and the Budget Committee. Mink also advocated for women's rights, arguing that women of color deserved the right to participate in politics and feminist movements. In response to the racial/gender discrimination she witnessed while in college, Mink passed the Women's Education Equity Act that promoted gender and racial equality in schools. Mink ran for presidency with the support of the Democratic Party, but soon lost the race in 1990. After this, Mink returned to Congress and continued to influence politics in favor of women of color, and encouraged them to fight for their rights.