PBS Hawaii this week airs Hiram Fong profile
By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Bill Moyers special, "Becoming American: The Chinese Experience," airing this week on PBS Hawaii, offers a compelling, in-depth look at the 150-year history of Chinese immigration to the United States.
PBS Hawaii
But 150 years is difficult to compress into 270 minutes, and the series cannot and does not delve into the unique experiences of Chinese immigrants to Hawai'i. Fortunately, PBS Hawaii has assumed that duty for itself, producing what should be an intriguing look at one of the state's most influential Chinese Americans — Hiram Fong.
Hiram Fong served as a U.S. senator for Hawai'i from 1959 to 1977, part of a long career in public service.
"Coming to Hawai'i: An Interview with Hiram Fong," airs Thursday night, immediately after the final installment of the Moyers special. The interview was conducted by Pamela Young earlier this month.
"The experiences of the Chinese who came to Hawai'i differ vastly from the those on the Mainland," said Ed McNulty, vice president of programming and content at PBS Hawaii. "We felt it was important to share some aspect of the Chinese experience in Hawai'i, and what better way than to have a conversation with a Chinese-American man who spent a significant part of his life representing the people of Hawai'i in Congress?"
'Coming to Hawai'i: An Interview With Hiram Fong'
Fong, 96, is the seventh of 11 children born to immigrant parents. He grew up in Kalihi and attended McKinley High School and the University of Hawai'i. He earned a law degree from Harvard University in 1935 before embarking on a long and distinguished career in public service and business.
'Becoming American: The Chinese Experience'
Fong's résumé is impressive in its breadth. In addition to his position as a U.S. senator from 1959 to 1977, Fong also was a deputy attorney for the City and County of Honolulu, a member of the territorial Legislature and vice president of the territorial Constitutional Convention of 1950.
Fong also was a skilled businessman, helping to establish and run the Finance Factors family of companies.
Fong's recent fortunes have been troubled. He is embroiled in a protracted legal struggle with his youngest son and daughter-in-law over control of the family business, and he recently filed for bankruptcy protection.
At the time of the interview, Fong was recovering from broken ribs suffered during a fall.
"Physically, he was slower," said producer Scott Culbertson. "He wasn't in top shape, but he's very sharp."
The interview focuses on Fong's early years, tying in the history of Chinese immigration to Hawai'i with the example Fong set for generations of second-generation Asian Americans.
At one point in the interview, Culbertson said, Fong tells the story of how his father almost made good on his original intention to return to China. But on the way to the boat, he lost his money gambling.
The elder Fong's loss turned out to be America's gain. Fong, a lifelong Republican, was highly influential in the progress of immigration and naturalization laws and in advocating closer relations with China and other Asian nations.
