"When the Hawaii Statehood Admissions Act of 1959 came to a vote..."

When the Hawaii Statehood Admissions Act of 1959 came to a vote in the Senate, the ayes were 76 to 15 nays, meaning eight critical votes had defected from the Southern bloc to the cause for Hawaii. After Hawaii was admitted to the Union as the 50th state in 1959, Inouye was elected that year as the state’s first Congressman. A fellow member of Congress, Leo O’Brien (D-New York), recalled [Congressional Medal of Honor winner Daniel] Inouye’s swearing-in for the Congressional Record as: 

“One of the most dramatic and moving scenes ever to occur in this House:

On that day, a young man, just elected to Congress from the brand new state, walked into the well of the House and faced the late Speaker Sam Rayburn. The House was very still. It was about to witness the swearing in, not only of the first Congressman from Hawaii, but the first American of Japanese descent to serve in either House of Congress. 

‘Raise your right hand and repeat after me,’ intoned Speaker Rayburn.

The hush deepened as the young Congressman raised not his right hand but his left as he repeated the oath of office.

There was no right hand, Mr. Speaker. It had been lost in combat by that young American soldier in World War II. Who can deny that, at that moment, a ton of prejudice slipped quietly to the floor of the House of Representatives.”

“442 Regimental Combat Team”

Carolyn Akemi Leung

Polytechnic School, Pasadena, California

The Concord Review, Summer 2009 (19/4)