[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 128 (Thursday, October 3, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1742]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1742]]
 EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE AT THE DEATH OF THE HONORABLE PATSY T. 
           MINK, MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF HAWAII

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 1, 2002

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Hawaii for 
yielding, it is with great sadness that I rise today to address the 
House.
  I offer my deepest sympathies to Patsy Mink's family, husband John 
Francis Mink, daughter Wendy and brother Eugene Takemoto. Anyone who 
was fortunate enough to have been touched by her life knows that this 
Nation has lost a true warrior in the constant struggle for justice.
  We will all miss her counsel and guidance as well as her friendship.
  She encountered early on the difficulties of prejudice and sexism. 
She also understood the importance of coalition building that she would 
carry on for the rest of her career.
  She was a person of firsts: first Japanese American woman to become a 
lawyer in Hawaii in 1952, first Asian American woman and woman-of-color 
elected to Congress, being 1 of only 12 women total in 1964.
  Her abilities in awakening all of our social consciousness through 
her tireless advocacy, work and dedication, inspired students, 
community leaders, political appointees and especially elected 
officials of the APA community and beyond.
  Congresswoman Mink's record as an advocate for civil rights is 
unassailable, a crowning achievement being the passage of Title IX of 
the Federal education amendments in 1972. This landmark legislation 
banned gender discrimination in schools, whether it was in academics or 
athletics.
  As I have indicated, she has been a role model for countless women as 
well as those of us from the Asian American and Pacific Islander 
community. Though she is not physically present, her spirit and legacy 
will live on through those of us who believe that the fight for 
fairness and equity is never over.
  Mr. Speaker, as we all know, Patsy had a fierce passion for freedom 
and equal treatment for all persons and during these tense times as our 
Nation faces growing poverty rates and international turmoil, I'd like 
to close with two quotes from Patsy Mink. The first quote underscores 
her passion for the need to stand up for the underrepresented and the 
second quote makes the point that when our national security is tested, 
we as a people must not ignore the basic principles that this country 
was founded on:

       If to believe in freedom and equality is to be a radical, 
     then I am a radical. So long as there remain groups of our 
     fellow Americans who are denied equal opportunity and equal 
     protection under the law * * * we must remain steadfast, till 
     all shades of man may stand side by side in dignity and self-
     respect to truly enjoy the fruits of this great land.

       America is not a country which needs to punish its 
     dissenters to preserve its honor, America is not a country 
     which needs to demand conformity of all its people, for its 
     strength lies in all our diversities converging in one common 
     belief, that of the importance of freedom as the essence of 
     our country.

  We all know that Hawaii was founded by Polynesian travelers guided by 
the stars. Today in the skies of Hawaii shines yet another star in the 
constellations to still guide the islanders and those of us here on the 
mainland.
  I will miss her very much.

                          ____________________