Daniel Kahikina Akaka was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Senator from Hawaii from 1990 to 2013.
23 Facts About Daniel Akaka
2.
Daniel Akaka attended the University of Hawaii, where he received his bachelor's and master's degrees.
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Originally a high school teacher, Daniel Akaka went on to serve as a principal for six years.
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Daniel Akaka was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 to represent Hawaii's 2nd congressional district; he served for 13 years.
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Daniel Kahikina Akaka was born in Honolulu, the son of Annie and Kahikina Akaka.
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Daniel Akaka's paternal grandfather was born in Swatow, Canton, China during the late Qing Dynasty, and his other grandparents were of Native Hawaiian descent.
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Daniel Akaka worked as a welder and a mechanic and in 1948 was a first mate on the schooner Morning Star.
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Daniel Akaka married Mary Mildred "Millie" Chong on May 22,1948.
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Daniel Akaka later received a Master of Education from the same school in 1966.
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Daniel Akaka worked as a high school teacher in Honolulu from 1953 until 1960, when he was hired as a vice principal.
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Daniel Akaka then continued working in government, holding positions as director of the Hawaii Office of Economic Opportunity, human resources assistant for Governor George Ariyoshi and director of the Progressive Neighborhoods Program.
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Daniel Akaka was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 to represent, comprising all of the state outside the inner ring of Honolulu.
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Daniel Akaka was appointed by Governor John Waihee to the US Senate in April 1990 to serve temporarily after the death of Senator Spark Matsunaga.
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In 1996, Daniel Akaka sponsored legislation that led to nearly two-dozen Medals of Honor being belatedly awarded to Asian-American soldiers in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion.
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Daniel Akaka passed legislation compensating Philippine Scouts who were refused veterans benefits.
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From 2000 until his retirement from the Senate in 2013, Daniel Akaka sponsored legislation, known as the Daniel Akaka Bill, to afford sovereignty to Native Hawaiians.
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In 2005, Daniel Akaka acknowledged in an interview with NPR that the Daniel Akaka Bill could eventually result in outright independence.
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In October 2002, Daniel Akaka voted against authorizing the use of military force against Iraq.
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On March 2,2011, Daniel Akaka announced he would not be running for re-election in the 2012 US Senate elections.
20.
The 88-year-old Daniel Akaka attended his final session in the Senate on December 12,2012.
21.
Daniel Akaka closed his speech with a traditional Hawaiian farewell, "a hui hou".
22.
Daniel Akaka died of organ failure in the early hours of April 6,2018, at the age of 93.
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Daniel Akaka embodied the aloha spirit with compassion and care.