PEOPLE AND EVERYDAY LIFE
Patsy Takemoto Mink: Fierce and Fearless
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Is it important to have an Asian American in Congress?
Chapter objectives
- Learn about Patsy Takemoto Mink and her advocacy for gender equality, anti-militarism, and environmental justice.
- Understand the historical context of Mink’s life as a woman of color raised in Hawai’i that shaped her political outlook and aspirations.
- Explore how Mink’s career as a policy maker and advocate demonstrates the possibilities and limits of implementing change.
Did you know that Patsy Takemoto Mink (1927–2002), a third generation Japanese American who was born in Hawai‘i, was the first woman of color in Congress? She even ran for President in 1972. Mink is most known for her work on Title IX—renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act after she passed away—a law that seeks to prohibit sex discrimination in education programs or activities. In addition to her advocacy for gender equality, Mink also opposed the US war in Vietnam and sought to protect the environment. Although she did not win every campaign or solve every issue, she was fierce and fearless in standing up for what she believed in. This chapter explores Patsy Takemoto Mink’s life, political leadership, and historical legacy.
Modules in this chapter
Overview
Opposition to the Vietnam War and US Presidential Campaign
Environmental Justice, Settler Colonialism, and a Pacific Worldview
The Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act
Overview
Opposition to the Vietnam War and US Presidential Campaign
Environmental Justice, Settler Colonialism, and a Pacific Worldview
The Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act
Chapter Sources
Abzug, Bella, et al. “Dear Colleague.” Patsy T. Mink Papers, Box 184, folder 7.
Blackford, Mansel G. Pathways to the Present: U.S. Development and Its Consequences in the Pacific. University of Hawai‘i Press, 2007.
Considine, Bob. “On the Line: Golden Gate.” Seattle Times, July 19, 1960. Patsy T. Mink Papers, Box 5, folder 4.
Densen-Gerber, Julianne. “Letter,” August 8, 1975. Patsy T. Mink Papers, Box 184, folder 7.
Freedman, Estelle B. No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women. Ballantine Books, 2003.
Friends for Patsy Mink for U.S. Senate Committee. “Patsy T. Mink, U.S. Congress: Hawaii’s Concerned Voice for Our Environment.” n.d. Patsy T. Mink Papers, Box 232, folder 3.
Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua, Noelani. “Introduction.” In A Nation Rising: Hawaiian Movements for Life, Land, and Sovereignty, edited by Noelani Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua, Ikaika Hussey, and Erin Kahunawaika′ala Wright. Duke University Press, 2014.
K.T. “Letter,” June 18, 1959. Patsy T. Mink Papers, Box 2, folder 16. Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Washington, D.C.
Mink, John. “Diaries,” July 13, 1959. Patsy T. Mink Papers, Restricted Box 2637.
Mink, Patsy T. “Letter,” September 19, 1963. Patsy T. Mink Papers, Box 6, folder 4.
