Thank you for visiting my website. I am grateful for the opportunity you have given me to serve as one of Hawaii’s senators, and I welcome this chance to share with you some of the work I am doing for Hawaii and the Nation.
The earliest humans in Hawaii were the Polynesian voyagers who came to these islands as early as 300 A.D. These ancient Hawaiians combined acute observations of wind, weather, and the sea with an astonishing grasp of astronomy to find the islands they would eventually call home. For hundreds of years the Native Hawaiians enjoyed a high quality of life that was sustainable from the limited resources of land and sea. Their culture was dynamic, and incorporated sophisticated principles of resource management.
In 1778, Captain James Cooke “discovered” the Hawaiian Islands, their significance as a foothold in the Pacific was readily apparent. In 1898, Hawaii became a territory of the United States, and began an intensive evolution toward democracy, which culminated in statehood in 1959.
Today, the State of Hawaii, leads the nation in Pacific initiatives, and it is difficult to imagine where America would be without our islands. We are the headquarters of the military’s Pacific Command, but we are also on the cutting edge of citizen diplomacy with Asia and the other Pacific Rim nations. The whole world recognizes our status as a destination resort, but our scientists have won international acclaim for their work to push the frontiers of human knowledge. The diversity of our roles in modern America is rivaled only by the diversity of our people—we are the only State without a majority ethnicity. Learn more…
