List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress
This is a list of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the U.S. Congress. As of 2017, there are 12 representatives and 3 senators of Asian-American descent who are currently serving in Congress. In addition, there are one representative and two non-voting delegates of Pacific Islander descent who currently are also serving. Since 1900, 15 Pacific Islanders have been elected to the House of Representatives (13 members being non-voting delegates) and one has been elected to the U.S. Senate. Hawaii was the first territory to send a Pacific Islander to the House of Representatives (in 1900) and was also the first state to send a Pacific Islander to the U.S. Senate (in 1990). Since 1957, 32 Asian Americans have been elected to the House of Representatives and 9 to the U.S. Senate. Hawaii was the first of four states to send an Asian American to the Senate (1959) and Illinois is the most recent state to elect a senator of similar descent for the first time (2016). With respect to the House of Representatives, California was the first of 12 states to elect an Asian American to the House (1956), and Florida and Washington are the most recent to do so for the first time (2016). Three Asian-American women have been elected to the Senate (all three of whom currently are incumbents and represent California, Hawaii and Illinois, respectively), and ten have been elected to the House (six of whom currently are incumbents) from six separate states.
Senate
Picture | Senator (lifespan) |
Asian or Pacific Island Ethnicity | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hiram Fong (1906–2004) [1] |
Chinese | Republican | Hawaii | August 21, 1959 | January 3, 1977 | Retired | |
Daniel Inouye (1924–2012) [2] |
Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 1963 | December 17, 2012 | Died in office | |
S. I. Hayakawa (1906–1992) |
Japanese | Republican | California | January 2, 1977 | January 3, 1983 | Retired | |
Spark Matsunaga (1916–1990) |
Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 1977 | April 15, 1990 | Died in office | |
Daniel Akaka (1924–2018) [3] |
Hawaiian, Chinese |
Democratic | Hawaii | May 16, 1990 | January 3, 2013 | Retired | |
John Ensign (born 1958) |
Filipino | Republican | Nevada | January 3, 2001 | May 3, 2011 | Resigned | |
Mazie Hirono (born 1947) [4] |
Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2013 | present | ||
Tammy Duckworth (born 1968) [5] |
Thai, Chinese |
Democratic | Illinois | January 3, 2017 | present | ||
Kamala Harris (born 1964) [6] |
Indian | Democratic | California | January 3, 2017 | present |
House of Representatives
Picture | Representative (lifespan) |
Asian or Pacific Island Ethnicity | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dalip Saund (1899–1973) [7] |
Indian | Democratic | California | January 3, 1957 | January 3, 1963 | Lost reelection | |
Daniel Inouye (1924–2012) [2] |
Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | August 21, 1959 | January 3, 1963 | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senator from Hawaii | |
Spark Matsunaga (1916–1990) |
Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 1963 | January 3, 1977 | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senator from Hawaii | |
Patsy Mink (1927–2002) [8] |
Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 1965 | January 3, 1977 | Retired to run unsuccessfully in the Democratic Party primary for U.S. Senator from Hawaii | |
September 22, 1990 | September 28, 2002 | Died in office | |||||
Norman Mineta (born 1931) |
Japanese | Democratic | California | January 3, 1975 | October 10, 1995 | Resigned | |
Daniel Akaka (1924–2018) [3] |
Hawaiian, Chinese |
Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 1977 | May 16, 1990 | Resigned to accept appointment as U.S. Senator from Hawaii | |
Bob Matsui (1941–2005) |
Japanese | Democratic | California | January 3, 1979 | January 1, 2005 | Died in office | |
Mervyn Dymally (1926–2012) [9] |
Indian | Democratic | California | January 3, 1981 | January 3, 1993 | Retired | |
Pat Saiki (born 1930) |
Japanese | Republican | Hawaii | January 3, 1987 | January 3, 1991 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator from Hawaii | |
Jay Kim (born 1939) [10] |
Korean | Republican | California | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 1999 | Lost renomination | |
Bobby Scott (born 1947) [11] |
Filipino | Democratic | Virginia | January 3, 1993 | present | ||
John Ensign (born 1958) |
Filipino | Republican | Nevada | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 1999 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator from Nevada Later elected as the U.S. Senator from Nevada | |
David Wu (born 1955) [12] |
Taiwanese | Democratic | Oregon | January 3, 1999 | August 3, 2011 | Resigned | |
Mike Honda (born 1941) |
Japanese | Democratic | California | January 3, 2001 | January 3, 2017 | Lost reelection | |
Bobby Jindal (born 1971) |
Indian | Republican | Louisiana | January 3, 2005 | January 14, 2008 | Resigned to run successfully for Governor of Louisiana | |
Doris Matsui (born 1944) |
Japanese | Democratic | California | March 8, 2005 | present | ||
Mazie Hirono (born 1947) [13] |
Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2007 | January 3, 2013 | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senator from Hawaii | |
Steve Austria (born 1958) |
Filipino | Republican | Ohio | January 3, 2009 | January 3, 2013 | Retired | |
Joseph Cao (born 1967) [14] |
Vietnamese | Republican | Louisiana | January 3, 2009 | January 3, 2011 | Lost reelection | |
Judy Chu (born 1953) [15] |
Chinese | Democratic | California | July 14, 2009 | present | ||
Charles Djou (born 1970) [16] |
Thai, Chinese |
Republican | Hawaii | May 22, 2010 | January 3, 2011 | Lost reelection | |
Hansen Clarke (born 1957) [17] |
Bangladeshi | Democratic | Michigan | January 3, 2011 | January 3, 2013 | Lost renomination | |
Colleen Hanabusa (born 1951) |
Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2011 | January 3, 2015 | Retired to run unsuccessfully in the Democratic Party primary for U.S. Senator from Hawaii | |
November 14, 2016 | present | ||||||
Ami Bera (born 1965) |
Indian | Democratic | California | January 3, 2013 | present | ||
Tammy Duckworth (born 1968) [5] |
Thai, Chinese |
Democratic | Illinois | January 3, 2013 | January 3, 2017 | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senator from Illinois | |
Tulsi Gabbard (born 1981) [18] |
Samoan | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2013 | present | ||
Grace Meng (born 1975) [19] |
Taiwanese | Democratic | New York | January 3, 2013 | present | ||
Mark Takano (born 1960) [20] |
Japanese | Democratic | California | January 3, 2013 | present | ||
Ted Lieu (born 1969) |
Taiwanese | Democratic | California | January 3, 2015 | present | ||
Mark Takai (1967–2016) |
Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2015 | July 20, 2016 | Died in office | |
Pramila Jayapal (born 1965) [21] |
Indian | Democratic | Washington | January 3, 2017 | present | ||
Ro Khanna (born 1976) |
Indian | Democratic | California | January 3, 2017 | present | ||
Raja Krishnamoorthi (born 1973) |
Indian | Democratic | Illinois | January 3, 2017 | present | ||
Stephanie Murphy (born 1978) [22] |
Vietnamese | Democratic | Florida | January 3, 2017 | present |
House Delegates (non-voting members)
(Note: Delegates are organized first in chronological order according to their first term in office, then second in alphabetical order according to their surname.)
Resident Commissioners were representatives from the Philippines, then an American territory.[23][24][25] Two were elected at-large from 1907 to 1937, and a single Resident Commissioner from 1937 to 1946.
From 1978 to 2009, the Northern Mariana Islands elected a Resident Representative who had no actual privileges in the House.
Picture | Delegate (lifespan) |
Asian or Pacific Island Ethnicity | Party | Territory | Term start | Term end | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Robert Wilcox (1855–1903) |
Hawaiian | Home Rule | Hawaii | November 6, 1900 | March 4, 1903 | Lost reelection | |
Jonah Kalanianaʻole (1871–1922) |
Hawaiian | Republican | Hawaii | March 4, 1903 | January 7, 1922 | Died in office | |
Benito Legarda (1853–1915) |
Filipino | Federalist | Philippine Islands | November 22, 1907 | March 4, 1912 | Retired | |
Pablo Ocampo (1853–1925) |
Filipino | Democrat | Philippine Islands | November 22, 1907 | November 22, 1909 | Retired | |
Manuel L. Quezón (1878–1944) |
Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | November 23, 1909 | October 15, 1916 | Retired | |
Manuel Earnshaw (1862–1936) |
Filipino | Independent | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1913 | March 4, 1917 | Retired | |
Jaime C. de Veyra (1873–1963) |
Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1917 | March 4, 1923 | Retired | |
Teodoro R. Yangco (1861–1939) |
Filipino, Chinese |
Independent | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1917 | March 4, 1920 | Retired | |
Isauro Gabaldon (1875–1942) |
Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1920 | July 16, 1928 | Resigned | |
Pedro Guevara (1879–1938) |
Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1923 | February 14, 1936 | Retired | |
William Jarrett (1877–1929) |
Hawaiian | Democrat | Hawaii | March 4, 1923 | March 4, 1927 | Lost reelection | |
Victor Houston (1876–1959) |
Hawaiian | Republican | Hawaii | March 4, 1927 | March 4, 1933 | Lost reelection | |
Camilo Osías (1889–1976) |
Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1929 | January 3, 1935 | Retired | |
Francisco Afan Delgado (1886–1964) |
Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | January 3, 1935 | February 14, 1936 | Retired | |
Samuel King (1886–1959) |
Hawaiian | Republican | Hawaii | January 3, 1935 | January 3, 1943 | Resigned | |
Quintín Paredes (1884–1973) |
Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippines | February 14, 1936 | September 29, 1938 | Resigned | |
Carlos P. Romulo (1899–1985) |
Filipino | Liberal | Philippines | August 10, 1944 | July 4, 1946 | Resigned; final Philippine representative | |
Antonio Won Pat (1908–1987) |
Chamorro, Chinese |
Democratic | Guam | January 3, 1973 | January 3, 1985 | Lost reelection | |
Eddie Pangelinan (born 1945) |
Chamorro | Democratic (1978–1983) | Northern Mariana Islands | January 1978 | January 1984 | Lost reelection | |
Republican (1983–1984) | |||||||
Fofó Sunia (born 1937) |
Samoan | Democratic | American Samoa | January 3, 1981 | September 6, 1988 | Resigned | |
Froilan Tenorio (born 1939) |
Chamorro | Democratic | Northern Mariana Islands | January 1984 | January 1990 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands Later served as Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands | |
Ben Blaz (1928–2014) |
Chamorro | Republican | Guam | January 3, 1985 | January 3, 1993 | Lost reelection | |
Eni Faleomavaega (1943–2017) |
Samoan | Democratic | American Samoa | January 3, 1989 | January 3, 2015 | Lost reelection | |
Juan Babauta (born 1953) |
Chamorro | Republican | Northern Mariana Islands | January 1990 | January 14, 2002 | Retired to run successfully for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands | |
Robert Underwood (born 1948) |
Chamorro | Democratic | Guam | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 2003 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor of Guam | |
Pete Tenorio (born 1941) |
Chamorro | Republican | Northern Mariana Islands | January 14, 2002 | January 3, 2009 | Office replaced by Delegate; Lost election to new office | |
Gregorio Sablan (born 1955) |
Chamorro | Independent (2009) |
Northern Mariana Islands | January 3, 2009 | present | ||
Democratic (2009–2014) | |||||||
Independent (2014–present) | |||||||
Amata Radewagen (born 1947) |
Samoan | Republican | American Samoa | January 3, 2015 | present |
Notes
- ↑ First Asian Pacific American elected to the Senate and first American of Chinese ancestry elected to Congress, for the predecessors and successors of each Asian Pacific American Representative's/Delegate's district or Senator with their date of birth and death, click on the U.S. representative/delegate or senator, for the number of congresses, click on the congress.
- 1 2 First Japanese American elected to Congress.
- 1 2 First Native Hawaiian elected to Congress.
- ↑ First Asian-American woman and first Buddhist elected to the Senate.
- 1 2 First disabled woman and first Thai-American woman elected to Congress.
- ↑ Together with Pramila Jayapal, first Indian-American woman elected to Congress. Also is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
- ↑ First person of Indian ancestry elected to Congress.
- ↑ First Asian-American woman elected to Congress.
- ↑ First Dougla elected to Congress. Also was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
- ↑ First person of Korean ancestry elected to Congress.
- ↑ First American-born Filipino elected to Congress. Also is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
- ↑ First Taiwanese American elected to Congress.
- ↑ One of the first two Buddhists elected to Congress.
- ↑ First person of Vietnamese ancestry elected to Congress.
- ↑ First Chinese-American woman elected to Congress.
- ↑ First Thai American elected to Congress.
- ↑ First person of Bangladeshi ancestry elected to Congress. Also was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
- ↑ First Hindu and first woman of Pacific Islander ancestry elected to Congress.
- ↑ First Taiwanese-American woman elected to Congress.
- ↑ First openly gay person of color elected to Congress.
- ↑ Together with Kamala Harris, first Indian-American woman elected to Congress.
- ↑ First Vietnamese-American woman elected to Congress.
- ↑ "Map Layer Info". National Atlas of the United States. United States Department of the Interior. July 23, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
The Philippines became a territory of the United States after the Spanish–American War.
- ↑ Berhow, Mark (2012). American Defenses of Corregidor and Manila Bay 1898-1945. Osprey Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 9781782004356. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ↑ Pyong Gap, Min, ed. (2005). Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues. Pine Forge Press. p. 183. ISBN 9781412905565. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
References
- Tong, Lorraine H. (2003). "Asian Pacific Americans in the United States Congress". Congressional Research Service 97-398, 9–14.
See also
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
- "Rise of the Wahine Documentary Film". , highlighting the role of the first woman of color and first female Asian-American to serve in Congress, Patsy Mink.