Posted on: Thursday, August 19, 2004

EDITORIAL
Hiram Fong: a life of drive, achievement

As much as almost anyone in public life during his time, Hiram L. Fong represented the best of the American immigrant dream.

He lived it, he fought for it and he embodied it in a distinguished career in politics and business that spanned the history of modern Hawai'i.

The retired U.S. senator died peacefully yesterday at age 97 after a career of achievements that would be hard to match.

As the seventh of 11 children of Chinese immigrants, Fong grew up in hardscrabble Kalihi, taking whatever odd jobs he could to help support his sprawling family.

But the setbacks of his circumstances were offset by several tremendous advantages: a tough and engaged intellect, a drive for success and a sense of humor that got him over rough spots that might have dismayed many others.

From his high school days, Fong demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit that would lead him later in life to found one of Hawai'i's most successful financial huis, the Finance Factors group of companies.

It is hard to imagine in this day of political diversity the fierce public pride Fong took in his Chinese heritage, not just as a personal story but as a champion of others who faced the same circumstances he faced growing up.

That experience led Fong to become a leader of immigration and naturalization reform, improved relations with China and the full sweep of civil rights in general.

He was also a strong advocate for the working man, pushing hard for civil rights legislation and worker benefits ranging from improved job conditions to equal pay for women.

That focus came out of his own background and also from his political experience: As a Republican, Fong always enjoyed the full-hearted support of the ILWU, and he returned the favor.

Ever cheerful, Fong never dwelled on the barriers and hardships he faced as a young man in Honolulu, but he clearly was determined to prevent that experience from being repeated for the next generation.

Fong is often cited as the first Asian to serve in the U.S. Senate, but he holds another distinction that may be a footnote in the record books but was a source of great pride to him personally. In 1964 and 1968, he was a "favorite son" nominee for U.S. president, the first Asian American so designated.

After his retirement in 1976, Fong turned his energies into creating a lavish botanical garden in Kahalu'u, which honored and remembered the five presidents of both parties Fong had served under.

Hiram Fong's later years were marred, slightly, by family and money disputes that took his attention away from his beloved garden. But those troubles hardly dimmed his cheerful, ebullient spirit, his wry ability to make fun of himself and his abiding belief that it was his destiny to serve his Island home with passion, humility and dedication.