Quiet No More: Sen. Hirono's Immigrant Journey Fuels Her Fire In Congress
Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii — one of the most outspoken Democrats in Congress — wasn't always so vociferous. She says her story, detailed in a new memoir, has driven her to "stand up to bullies."
For a long time, Mazie Hirono thought of herself as one of the quiet ones — hardworking and well-prepared, caring but stoic — formed in the image of the Japanese American women who raised her.
But in recent years, Sen. Hirono (D-Hawaii) — the only immigrant serving in the U.S. Senate — has turned heads for her increasingly tough, no-B.S. style and a willingness to challenge not just Republicans but her own Democratic party.
The turning point, she said in an interview with NPR, was catalyzed by the Trump administration and the conduct of the former president himself.
"He opened the floodgates to the vocal
