A Special Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Program “A Conversation with U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono”

Senator Mazie K. Hirono

Mazie K. Hirono was elected to the Senate in 2012, becoming Hawaii’s first female senator and the country’s first Asian-American woman senator. Throughout her career, Hirono has fought on behalf of Hawaii families and communities whose voices are not often heard in Congress, working to protect and build upon the progress generations of Americans have fought to secure.

In the Senate, Hirono is a leading champion for women’s rights and reproductive freedom, voting and civil rights, the Native Hawaiian community, sustainable communities, and early education. In 2021, Senator Hirono introduced the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, legislation signed into law to help communities combat the rise in anti-Asian hate and violence.

Hirono serves on the Committees on Armed Services, Energy and Natural Resources, the Judiciary, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Veterans’ Affairs. She is also Chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, where she is leading the fight to modernize military infrastructure in Hawaii and across the country.

Born in Fukushima, Japan, Hirono was nearly eight years old when her mother brought her and her siblings to Hawaii to escape an abusive husband and seek a better life. Hirono served in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1981 to 1994 and earned a reputation as an advocate for consumers and workers. After being elected as Hawaii’s lieutenant governor in 1994, Hirono led the creation of Hawaii’s Pre-Plus Program to expand access to quality, affordable early education. In 2006, voters in Hawaii’s second congressional district elected Hirono to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served three terms before being elected to the Senate.

Judge Jill A. Otake

Judge Jill A. Otake was nominated by President Donald J. Trump in December 2017 and confirmed by the United States Senate as a United States District Judge for the District of Hawai῾i in August 2018.

Judge Otake served as an Assistant United States Attorney for thirteen years (2005–2014 in the Western District of Washington and 2014–2018 in the District of Hawai῾i). During that time, she investigated and tried numerous criminal cases, and served in several management and supervisory roles.

Prior to her time as an Assistant United States Attorney, Judge Otake worked as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in Seattle, Washington. She also served as law clerk to Associate Justice Simeon R. Acoba, Jr. of the Hawai῾i Supreme Court (2001–2002).

Judge Otake earned a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law (1998) and a B.S. in Russian from Georgetown University (1995). She is a graduate of ῾Iolani School in Honolulu (1991).

Prior to joining the bench, Judge Otake was a Fellow of the Hawai῾i State Bar Association’s Leadership Institute and Co-President of the Asian Bar Association of Washington. She was a volunteer attorney for Volunteer Legal Services Hawai῾i and a mentor for Hawai῾i Women Lawyers. She also chaired and served on numerous judicial evaluation committees in Washington State and was an adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy at Seattle University School of Law. 

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