Daniel Akaka

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Script error: No such module "infobox". Daniel Kahikina Akaka (Template:IPAc-en;[1] September 11, 1924 – April 6, 2018) was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Senator from Hawaii from 1990 to 2013. He was a member of the Democratic Party.

Born in Honolulu, he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. He attended the University of Hawaii, where he received his bachelor's and master's degrees. Originally a high school teacher, Akaka went on to serve as a principal for six years. In 1969, the Department of Education hired him as a chief program planner. In the 1970s, he served in various governmental positions.

Akaka was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 to represent Hawaii's 2nd congressional district; he served for 13 years. In 1990, he was appointed to the U.S. Senate to succeed the deceased Spark Matsunaga, subsequently winning the special election to complete Matsunaga's term. He would later be reelected to three full terms. In March 2011, he announced he would not run for reelection in 2012.[2]

After fellow U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye died on December 17, 2012, Akaka became the state's senior senator for 2 weeks until he left office on January 3, 2013. He was succeeded by fellow Democrat Mazie Hirono.[3]

Early life, family, and education

File:Senator Daniel Akaka and Millie Akaka.jpg
Senator Akaka and his wife, Millie Akaka

Daniel Kahikina Akaka was born in Honolulu, the son of Annie (née Kahoa) and Kahikina Akaka. His paternal grandfather was born in Shantou, Guangdong, China, and his other grandparents were of Native Hawaiian descent.[4][5] His brother was Rev. Abraham Akaka.[6]

Akaka described Hawaiian as his "native tongue".[7]

Akaka graduated from Kamehameha Schools in 1942. During World War II he served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers, including service on Saipan and Tinian. He served from 1945 to 1947.[8] He worked as a welder and a mechanic and in 1948 was a first mate on the schooner Morning Star.[9]

Akaka married Mary Mildred "Millie" Chong on May 22, 1948. The Akakas had five children.[10] His granddaughter, Kalei Akaka, is a statewide elected official on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees (first elected in 2018).[11]

Entering college (funded by the G.I. Bill), Akaka earned a Bachelor of Education in 1952 from the University of Hawaii. He later received a Master of Education from the same school in 1966.[12]

Early career

Akaka worked as a high school teacher in Honolulu from 1953 until 1960, when he was hired as a vice principal.[12] In 1963, he became head principal.[9]

In 1969, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare hired Akaka as a chief program planner. Akaka continued working in government, holding positions as director of the Hawaii Office of Economic Opportunity, human resources assistant for Governor George Ariyoshi, and director of the Progressive Neighborhoods Program.[13][14]

U.S. House of Representatives (1977-1990)

File:Daniel Akaka as Representative.jpg
Akaka in 1977, during his first term in Congress

Akaka was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 to represent Template:Ushr, comprising all of the state outside the city of Honolulu.[15] He was reelected seven times, all by wide margins; apart from 1986, when he obtained 76%, he never received less than 80 percent of the vote. Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Akaka voted for the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981.[16] The Act aimed to stimulate economic growth by significantly reducing income tax rates. It passed the House of Representatives in a 323–107 vote, the Senate via a voice vote, and it was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on August 13, 1981.[16][17] However, Akaka voted against the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981.[18] The Act decreased federal spending and increased military funding. Despite his vote against it, the bill passed the House of Representatives in a 232–193 vote, the Senate via a voice vote, and it was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan the same day.[19]

Akaka voted for the Abandoned Shipwrecks Act of 1987.[20] The Act asserts United States title to certain abandoned shipwrecks located on or embedded in submerged lands under state jurisdiction, and transfers title to the respective state, thereby empowering states to manage these cultural and historical resources more efficiently, with the goal of preventing treasure hunters and salvagers from damaging them. President Ronald Reagan signed it into law on April 28, 1988.[21]

U.S. Senate (1990-2013)

Elections

File:Daniel Akaka at senate youth program.jpg
Akaka at a Senate youth program

Akaka was appointed by Governor John Waihee to the U.S. Senate in April 1990 to serve temporarily after the death of Senator Spark Matsunaga.[22] In November of the same year, he was elected to complete the remaining four years of Matsunaga's unexpired term, defeating U.S. Representative Pat Saiki with 53% of the vote. He was reelected in 1994 for a full six-year term with over 70% of the vote. He was reelected almost as easily in 2000.[23]

For the 2006 election, he overcame a strong primary challenge from U.S. Representative Ed Case,[24] then won a third full term with 61 percent of the vote, defeating Cynthia Thielen.[25]

Tenure

During his Senate tenure, Akaka served as the Chair of the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.[25]

In 1996, Akaka sponsored legislation that led to nearly two-dozen Medals of Honor being belatedly awarded to Asian-American soldiers in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion.[26] He also passed legislation compensating Philippine Scouts who were refused veterans benefits.[26]

From 2000 until his retirement from the Senate in 2013, Akaka sponsored legislation, known as the Akaka Bill, to afford sovereignty to Native Hawaiians. In 2005, Akaka acknowledged in an interview with NPR that the Akaka Bill could eventually result in outright independence.[27]

The Akaka Bill has been supported as a means of restoring Hawaiian self-determination lost with the 1893 overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.[28] It would include giving up the ability to sue for sovereignty in federal courts in exchange for recognition by the federal government (but would not block sovereignty claims made under international law.)[29] The bill has been criticized as discriminating on the basis on ethnic origin in that only Native Hawaiians would be permitted to participate in the governing entity that the bill would establish.[30]

In October 2002, Akaka voted against authorizing the use of military force against Iraq.[31][32]

In April 2006, Akaka was ranked by Time as one of America's Five Worst Senators. The article criticized him for mainly authoring minor legislation, calling him "master of the minor resolution and the bill that dies in committee".[33]

In February 2009, a bill was authored in the Philippine House of Representatives by Rep. Antonio Diaz seeking to confer honorary Filipino citizenship on Akaka, Senators Daniel Inouye and Ted Stevens and Representative Bob Filner, for their role in securing the passage of benefits for Filipino World War II veterans.[34]

On March 2, 2011, Akaka announced he would not be running for re-election in the 2012 U.S. Senate elections.[2] The 88-year-old Akaka attended his final session in the Senate on December 12, 2012. He closed his speech with a traditional Hawaiian farewell, "a hui hou" (until we meet again).[35]

Committee assignments

File:Senator Daniel Akaka and Senator Barack Obama.jpg
Akaka with then U.S. Senator Barack Obama in 2005

Caucus memberships

File:George W. Bush approves Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.jpg
Akaka and President George W. Bush in 2006

Death

Akaka died of organ failure at a Honolulu care facility on April 6, 2018, at the age of 93.[10] Former president Barack Obama remembered Akaka as "a tireless advocate for working people, veterans, native Hawaiian rights, and the people of Hawaii. [...] He embodied the aloha spirit with compassion and care."[36]

Electoral history

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United States Senate special election, 1990: Hawaii
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Script error: No such module "Political party". Pat Saiki 155,978 44.35
Script error: No such module "Political party". Ken Schoolland 6,788 1.93
Majority 32,923 9.36 Script error: No such module "String".
Turnout 351,666 Script error: No such module "String".

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United States Senate election, 1994: Hawaii[37]
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Script error: No such module "Political party". Maria Hustace 86,320 24.2%
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United States Senate election, 2000: Hawaii[38]
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Script error: No such module "Political party". John Carroll 84,701 24.5%
Script error: No such module "Political party". Lauri A. Clegg 4,220 1.2%
Script error: No such module "Political party". Lloyd Jeffrey Mallan 3,127 0.9%
Script error: No such module "Political party". David Porter 2,360 0.7%

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United States Senate election, 2006: Hawaii
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Script error: No such module "Political party". Cynthia Thielen 126,097 36.8 Script error: No such module "String".
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See also

References

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External links

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Template:S-endTemplate:USSenHITemplate:Hawaii RepresentativesTemplate:USCongRep-startTemplate:USCongRep/HI/95Template:USCongRep/HI/96Template:USCongRep/HI/97Template:USCongRep/HI/98Template:USCongRep/HI/99Template:USCongRep/HI/100Template:USCongRep/HI/101Template:USCongRep/HI/102Template:USCongRep/HI/103Template:USCongRep/HI/104Template:USCongRep/HI/105Template:USCongRep/HI/106Template:USCongRep/HI/107Template:USCongRep/HI/108Template:USCongRep/HI/109Template:USCongRep/HI/110Template:USCongRep/HI/111Template:USCongRep/HI/112Template:USCongRep-endTemplate:SenIndianAffairsCommitteeChairmenTemplate:SenVACommitteeChairmenTemplate:OGH RecipientsTemplate:Authority control
Template:Error
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Hawaii's 2nd congressional district
1977–1990 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Hawaii
(Class 1)
1990, 1994, 2000, 2006 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Template:Error
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Hawaii
1990–2013
Served alongside: Dan Inouye, Brian SchatzTemplate:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Chair of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
2007–2011 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee
2011–2013 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
  1. ↑ AP pronunciation guide
  2. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Genealogy Template:Webarchive from ancestry.com
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AUSA2011
  9. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/government-politics/2018-12-10/oha-elects-officers-and-look-to-the-future
  12. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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