Wikipedia
List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress
This is a list of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans in the U.S. Congress.
State had an Asian Senator at the beginning of the 117th Congress
State has in the past had an Asian Senator
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The term refers to a panethnic group that includes diverse populations with ancestral origins in East Asia, South Asia or Southeast Asia, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.[1]
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, Pacific Islander Americans or Native Hawaiian and/or other Pacific Islander Americans, are Americans who have ethnic ancestry among the indigenous peoples of Oceania (viz. Polynesians, Melanesians and Micronesians). For its purposes, the U.S. Census also counts Indigenous Australians as part of this group.[2][3]
As of February 2021, there are 15 representatives and 2 senators of Asian-American descent who are currently serving in Congress. In addition, there are one representative and three non-voting delegates of Pacific Islander descent who currently are also serving. Since 1900, 20 Pacific Islanders have been elected to the House of Representatives (17 of them as non-voting Resident Commissioners, Delegates or Resident Representatives) and one has been elected to the U.S. Senate. Hawaii was the first territory to send a Pacific Islander to the House of Representatives (in 1900) and was also the first state to send a Pacific Islander to the U.S. Senate (in 1990). Since 1957, 38 Asian Americans have been elected as U.S. Representatives and 9 as U.S. Senators. Hawaii was the first of four states to send an Asian American to the Senate (1959) and Illinois is the most recent state to elect a senator of similar descent for the first time (2016). With respect to the House of Representatives, California was the first of 13 states to elect an Asian American to the House (1956), and New Jersey is the most recent to do so for the first time (2018). Three Asian-American women have been elected to the Senate (two of whom currently are incumbents and represent Hawaii and Illinois, respectively), and 13 have been elected to the House (eight of whom currently are incumbents) from six separate states.
Senate Edit
(Note: Senators are organized first in chronological order according to their first term in office, then second in alphabetical order according to their surname.)
| Senator | Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity | Party | State | Tenure | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term start | Term end | Length of service | ||||||
| Hiram Fong (1906–2004) | Chinese[S 1] | Republican | Hawaii | August 21, 1959 | January 3, 1977 | 17 years, 135 days | Retired | |
| Daniel Inouye (1924–2012) | Japanese[S 2] | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 1963 | December 17, 2012 | 49 years, 349 days | Died in office | |
| S. I. Hayakawa (1906–1992) | Japanese | Republican | California | January 2, 1977 | January 3, 1983 | 6 years, 1 day | Retired | |
| Spark Matsunaga (1916–1990) | Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 1977 | April 15, 1990 | 13 years, 102 days | Died in office | |
| Daniel Akaka (1924–2018) | Hawaiian, Chinese[S 3] | Democratic | Hawaii | May 16, 1990 | January 3, 2013 | 22 years, 232 days | Initially appointed; later re-elected Retired | |
| John Ensign (born 1958) | Filipino[S 4] | Republican | Nevada | January 3, 2001 | May 3, 2011 | 10 years, 120 days | Resigned | |
| Mazie Hirono (born 1947) | Japanese[S 5] | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2013 | Incumbent | 10 years, 295 days | ||
| Tammy Duckworth (born 1968) | Thai, Chinese[S 6] | Democratic | Illinois | January 3, 2017 | Incumbent | 6 years, 295 days | ||
| Kamala Harris (born 1964) | Indian[S 7] | Democratic | California | January 3, 2017 | January 18, 2021 | 4 years, 15 days | Resigned to become Vice President | |
- ^ First American of Chinese ancestry elected to Congress
- ^ First Japanese American elected to the Senate
- ^ First Native Hawaiian to serve in the Senate
- ^ First person of Filipino ancestry elected to the Senate
- ^ First Asian-American woman elected to the Senate
- ^ First Thai American elected to the Senate
- ^ First person of South Asian ancestry elected to the Senate; together with Pramila Jayapal, first Indian-American woman elected to Congress
House of Representatives Edit
(Note: Representatives are organized first in chronological order according to their first term in office, then second in alphabetical order according to their surname.)
| Representative | Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity | Party | State | Tenure | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term start | Term end | Length of service | ||||||
| Dalip Singh Saund (1899–1973) | Indian[H 1] | Democratic | California | January 3, 1957 | January 3, 1963 | 6 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| Daniel Inouye (1924–2012) | Japanese[H 2] | Democratic | Hawaii | August 21, 1959 | January 3, 1963 | 3 years, 135 days | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate | |
| Spark Matsunaga (1916–1990) | Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 1963 | January 3, 1977 | 14 years, 0 days | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate | |
| Patsy Mink (1927–2002) | Japanese[H 3] | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 1965 | January 3, 1977 | 12 years, 0 days | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate | |
| September 22, 1990 | September 28, 2002 | 12 years, 6 days | Died in office | |||||
| Norman Mineta (1931–2022) | Japanese | Democratic | California | January 3, 1975 | October 10, 1995 | 20 years, 280 days | Resigned Later served as Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Transportation | |
| Daniel Akaka (1924–2018) | Hawaiian, Chinese[H 4] | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 1977 | May 16, 1990 | 13 years, 133 days | Resigned after being appointed to the U.S. Senate | |
| Bob Matsui (1941–2005) | Japanese | Democratic | California | January 3, 1979 | January 1, 2005 | 25 years, 364 days | Died in office | |
| Mervyn Dymally (1926–2012) | Indian[H 5] | Democratic | California | January 3, 1981 | January 3, 1993 | 12 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| Pat Saiki (born 1930) | Japanese | Republican | Hawaii | January 3, 1987 | January 3, 1991 | 4 years, 0 days | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate | |
| Jay Kim (born 1939) | Korean[H 6] | Republican | California | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 1999 | 6 years, 0 days | Lost renomination | |
| Bobby Scott (born 1947) | Filipino[H 7] | Democratic | Virginia | January 3, 1993 | Incumbent | 30 years, 295 days | ||
| John Ensign (born 1958) | Filipino | Republican | Nevada | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 1999 | 4 years, 0 days | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate Later elected to the U.S. Senate from Nevada | |
| David Wu (born 1955) | Taiwanese[H 8] | Democratic | Oregon | January 3, 1999 | August 3, 2011 | 12 years, 212 days | Resigned | |
| Mike Honda (born 1941) | Japanese | Democratic | California | January 3, 2001 | January 3, 2017 | 16 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| Bobby Jindal (born 1971) | Indian | Republican | Louisiana | January 3, 2005 | January 14, 2008 | 3 years, 11 days | Resigned to run successfully for Governor | |
| Doris Matsui (born 1944) | Japanese | Democratic | California | March 8, 2005 | Incumbent | 18 years, 231 days | Elected to succeed late husband | |
| Mazie Hirono (born 1947) | Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2007 | January 3, 2013 | 6 years, 0 days | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate | |
| Steve Austria (born 1958) | Filipino | Republican | Ohio | January 3, 2009 | January 3, 2013 | 4 years, 0 days | Retired following decennial redistricting | |
| Joseph Cao (born 1967) | Vietnamese[H 9] | Republican | Louisiana | January 3, 2009 | January 3, 2011 | 2 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| Judy Chu (born 1953) | Chinese[H 10] | Democratic | California | July 14, 2009 | Incumbent | 14 years, 103 days | ||
| Charles Djou (born 1970) | Thai, Chinese[H 11] | Republican | Hawaii | May 22, 2010 | January 3, 2011 | 226 days | Lost reelection | |
| Hansen Clarke (born 1957) | Bangladeshi[H 12] | Democratic | Michigan | January 3, 2011 | January 3, 2013 | 2 years, 0 days | Lost renomination following decennial redistricting | |
| Colleen Hanabusa (born 1951) | Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2011 | January 3, 2015 | 4 years, 0 days | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate | |
| November 14, 2016 | January 3, 2019 | 2 years, 50 days | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor | |||||
| Ami Bera (born 1965) | Indian | Democratic | California | January 3, 2013 | Incumbent | 10 years, 295 days | ||
| Tammy Duckworth (born 1968) | Thai[H 13] | Democratic | Illinois | January 3, 2013 | January 3, 2017 | 4 years, 0 days | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate | |
| Tulsi Gabbard (born 1981) | Samoan[H 14] | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2013 | January 3, 2021 | 8 years, 0 days | Retired after having run unsuccessfully for President, became an independent in 2022 | |
| Grace Meng (born 1975) | Taiwanese[H 15] | Democratic | New York | January 3, 2013 | Incumbent | 10 years, 295 days | ||
| Mark Takano (born 1960) | Japanese[H 16] | Democratic | California | January 3, 2013 | Incumbent | 10 years, 295 days | ||
| Ted Lieu (born 1969) | Taiwanese | Democratic | California | January 3, 2015 | Incumbent | 8 years, 295 days | ||
| Mark Takai (1967–2016) | Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2015 | July 20, 2016 | 1 year, 199 days | Died in office | |
| Pramila Jayapal (born 1965) | Indian[H 17] | Democratic | Washington | January 3, 2017 | Incumbent | 6 years, 295 days | ||
| Ro Khanna (born 1976) | Indian | Democratic | California | January 3, 2017 | Incumbent | 6 years, 295 days | ||
| Raja Krishnamoorthi (born 1973) | Indian | Democratic | Illinois | January 3, 2017 | Incumbent | 6 years, 295 days | ||
| Stephanie Murphy (born 1978) | Vietnamese[H 18] | Democratic | Florida | January 3, 2017 | January 3, 2023 | 6 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| TJ Cox (born 1963) | Filipino, Chinese | Democratic | California | January 3, 2019 | January 3, 2021 | 2 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| Andy Kim (born 1982) | Korean | Democratic | New Jersey | January 3, 2019 | Incumbent | 4 years, 295 days | ||
| Stephanie Bice (born 1973) | Pakistani[H 19] | Republican | Oklahoma | January 3, 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 295 days | ||
| Kai Kahele (born 1974) | Hawaiian | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2021 | January 3, 2023 | 2 years, 0 days | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor | |
| Young Kim (born 1962) | Korean[H 20] | Republican | California | January 3, 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 295 days | ||
| Michelle Steel (born 1955) | Korean[H 20] | Republican | California | January 3, 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 295 days | ||
| Marilyn Strickland (born 1962) | Korean[H 20] | Democratic | Washington | January 3, 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 295 days | ||
| Shri Thanedar (born 1955) | Indian | Democratic | Michigan | January 3, 2023 | Incumbent | 295 days | ||
| Jill Tokuda (born 1976) | Japanese | Democratic | Hawaii | January 3, 2023 | Incumbent | 295 days | ||
- ^ First AAPI person elected to Congress as a non-delegate, and also first Indian American elected to Congress
- ^ First Japanese American elected to Congress
- ^ First Asian-American woman elected to Congress
- ^ First Native Hawaiian to serve as a voting member of Congress
- ^ First (and so far only) Dougla elected to Congress
- ^ First Korean American elected to Congress
- ^ First American-born Filipino elected to Congress
- ^ First Taiwanese American elected to Congress
- ^ First Vietnamese American elected to Congress
- ^ First Chinese-American woman elected to Congress
- ^ First Thai American elected to Congress
- ^ First person of Bangladeshi ancestry elected to Congress
- ^ First Thai-American woman elected to Congress
- ^ First woman of Pacific Islander ancestry elected to Congress
- ^ First Taiwanese-American woman elected to Congress
- ^ First openly gay person of AAPI ancestry elected to Congress
- ^ Together with Kamala Harris, first Indian-American woman elected to Congress
- ^ First Vietnamese-American woman elected to Congress
- ^ First person of Pakistani ancestry elected to Congress
- ^ a b c Reps. Kim, Steel, and Strickland are collectively the first Korean-American women elected to Congress
House delegates (non-voting members) Edit
Resident Commissioners were House delegates from the Philippines, then an American territory.[4][5][6] Two were elected at-large by the Philippine Legislature from 1907 to 1935, and, following the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, a single Resident Commissioner was appointed by the President of the Philippines (with the consent of the Commomwealth's Commission on Appointments) from 1936 to 1946.
From 1978 to 2009, the Northern Mariana Islands elected four Resident Representatives who had no privileges in the House. American Samoa similarly elected three Delegates at-large from 1971 to 1981 and Guam elected one Washington Representative from 1965 to 1973.
(Note: Delegates are organized first in chronological order according to their first term in office, then second in alphabetical order according to their surname.)
| Delegate | Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity | Party | Territory | Tenure | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term start | Term end | Length of service | ||||||
| Robert Wilcox (1855–1903) | Hawaiian | Home Rule | Hawaii | November 6, 1900 | March 4, 1903 | 2 years, 118 days | Lost reelection | |
| Jonah Kalanianaʻole (1871–1922) | Hawaiian | Republican | Hawaii | March 4, 1903 | January 7, 1922 | 18 years, 309 days | Died in office | |
| Benito Legarda (1853–1915) | Filipino | Federalist | Philippine Islands | November 22, 1907 | March 4, 1912 | 4 years, 103 days | Retired | |
| Pablo Ocampo (1853–1925) | Filipino | Democrat | Philippine Islands | November 22, 1907 | November 22, 1909 | 2 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| Manuel L. Quezón (1878–1944) | Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | November 23, 1909 | October 15, 1916 | 6 years, 327 days | Retired Later served as President of the Philippines | |
| Manuel Earnshaw (1862–1936) | Filipino | Independent | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1913 | March 4, 1917 | 4 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| Jaime C. de Veyra (1873–1963) | Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1917 | March 4, 1923 | 6 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| Teodoro R. Yangco (1861–1939) | Filipino, Chinese | Independent | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1917 | March 4, 1920 | 3 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| Isauro Gabaldon (1875–1942) | Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1920 | July 16, 1928 | 8 years, 124 days | Resigned | |
| Pedro Guevara (1879–1938) | Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1923 | February 14, 1936 | 12 years, 347 days | Retired | |
| William Jarrett (1877–1929) | Hawaiian | Democrat | Hawaii | March 4, 1923 | March 4, 1927 | 4 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| Victor Houston (1876–1959) | Hawaiian | Republican | Hawaii | March 4, 1927 | March 4, 1933 | 6 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| Camilo Osías (1889–1976) | Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | March 4, 1929 | January 3, 1935 | 5 years, 305 days | Retired | |
| Francisco Afan Delgado (1886–1964) | Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippine Islands | January 3, 1935 | February 14, 1936 | 1 year, 42 days | Retired | |
| Samuel King (1886–1959) | Hawaiian | Republican | Hawaii | January 3, 1935 | January 3, 1943 | 8 years, 0 days | Resigned | |
| Quintín Paredes (1884–1973) | Filipino | Nacionalista | Philippines | February 14, 1936 | September 29, 1938 | 2 years, 228 days | Resigned | |
| Carlos P. Romulo (1899–1985) | Filipino | Liberal | Philippines | August 10, 1944 | July 4, 1946 | 1 year, 328 days | Office eliminated when the United States recognized the independence of the Republic of the Philippines | |
| Antonio Won Pat (1908–1987) | Chamorro, Chinese[D 1] | Democratic | Guam | January 3, 1973 | January 3, 1985 | 12 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| Eddie Pangelinan (born 1945) | Chamorro | Democratic (1978–1983) | Northern Mariana Islands | January 9, 1978 | January 9, 1984 | 5 years, 130 days | Lost reelection | |
| Republican (1983–1984) | ||||||||
| Fofó Sunia (born 1937) | Samoan[D 2] | Democratic | American Samoa | January 3, 1981 | September 6, 1988 | 7 years, 247 days | Resigned | |
| Froilan Tenorio (1939–2020) | Chamorro | Democratic | Northern Mariana Islands | January 9, 1984 | January 8, 1990 | 5 years, 364 days | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands Later successfully ran for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands | |
| Ben Blaz (1928–2014) | Chamorro | Republican | Guam | January 3, 1985 | January 3, 1993 | 8 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| Eni Faleomavaega (1943–2017) | Samoan | Democratic | American Samoa | January 3, 1989 | January 3, 2015 | 26 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| Juan Babauta (born 1953) | Chamorro, Carolinian[D 3] | Republican | Northern Mariana Islands | January 8, 1990 | January 14, 2002 | 12 years, 6 days | Retired to run successfully for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands | |
| Robert Underwood (born 1948) | Chamorro | Democratic | Guam | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 2003 | 10 years, 0 days | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor of Guam | |
| Pete Tenorio (born 1941) | Chamorro | Republican | Northern Mariana Islands | January 14, 2002 | January 3, 2009 | 6 years, 355 days | Office replaced by Delegate Lost election to new office | |
| Michael San Nicolas (born 1981) | Chamorro | Democratic | Guam | January 3, 2019 | January 3, 2023 | 4 years, 0 days | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor of Guam | |
| Gregorio Sablan (born 1955) | Chamorro | Independent (2009) | Northern Mariana Islands | January 3, 2009 | Incumbent | 14 years, 295 days | ||
| Democratic (2009–2014) | ||||||||
| Independent (2014–2021) | ||||||||
| Democratic (2021–present) | ||||||||
| Amata Radewagen (born 1947) | Samoan, Hawaiian | Republican | American Samoa | January 3, 2015 | Incumbent | 8 years, 295 days | ||
| James Moylan (born 1962) | Chamorro | Republican | Guam | January 3, 2023 | Incumbent | 295 days | ||
See also Edit
Notes and references Edit
- ^ Karen R. Humes; Nicholas A. Jones; Roberto R. Ramirez (March 2011). "Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ University of Virginia. Geospatial and Statistical Data Center. "1990 PUMS Ancestry Codes." 2003. August 30, 2007.. Archived from the original on August 25, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
- ^ "Government Information". www.lib.umich.edu. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
- ^ . National Atlas of the United States. United States Department of the Interior. July 23, 2012. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
The Philippines became a territory of the United States after the Spanish–American War.
- ^ Berhow, Mark (2012). American Defenses of Corregidor and Manila Bay 1898–1945. Osprey Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-78200-435-6. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ^ Pyong Gap, Min, ed. (2005). Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues. Pine Forge Press. p. 183. ISBN 978-1-4129-0556-5. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
Further reading Edit
- Tong, Lorraine H. (2003). "Asian Pacific Americans in the United States Congress". Congressional Research Service 97-398, 9–14.
- . Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved February 29, 2020., highlighting the role of the first woman of color and first female Asian-American to serve in Congress, Patsy Mink.