Patsy Mink: Striking a Path of Firsts

For my project, the person that I want to focus on is Patsy Takemoto Mink. She was a very influential congressperson who made an enormous impact on Asian American politics. She was the first woman of color elected to the House of Representatives and the first Asian American woman to serve in Congress (Alexander 2019). While in Congress, she was an author and major supporter of Title IX, the Early Childhood Education Act, and the Women’s Educational Equity Act (Alexander 2019). Later in life, she became the first Asian American to run for president. To research Patsy Mink, I have relied on public information. She passed away in 2002, so I have also relied on secondary sources, ranging from academic papers that she has authored to biographies and documentaries about her life.

Biography/Context

According to biographies about Mink, Mink’s professional and political life was heavily influenced by her Asian American identity. Mink was a third-generation Japanese American, and her grandparents were unable to gain citizenship due to “racialized naturalization laws that designated them forever foreigners” (Wu & Mink 2022). Mink also experienced politicization at an early age. According to reports, her father would often take her to political rallies or have her listen to speeches on the radio (Cruz et al. 2003). She stated that “Politics was an important thing… being a citizen was important” (Cruz et al. 2003). To that end, in college, Mink fought against segregationist policies at the University of Nebraska, where only white American students could live in dorms, fraternity houses, and sorority houses (Matsuda et al. 1992). Back in Hawai’i, Mink was turned away from many Hawaii-based law firms because she was in an interracial marriage, despite her having already passed the bar exam (Alexander 2019). Her background growing up in the then territory of Hawai’i and experiences of structural racism and sexism in academia and professional settings helped to shape her ideology of anti-imperialism, civil rights, and feminism. I argue that the processes that helped to shape Mink’s engagement in politics are close to what May Lin expresses in her article “From Alienated to Activists: Expressions and Formation of Group Consciousness among Asian American Young Adults.” Here, Lin examines young Asian Americans and how they become aware of Asian American group identity. Mink experienced structural racism all throughout her life, and these experiences informed the way that she approached her career as a politician (Lin 2018). She had a very personal connection to exclusionist immigration policies through her grandparents, segregationist policies through her schooling, and general anti-Asian sentiment in her work as a U.S. representative.

In this vein, Mink was also very upfront about her support for Asian and Asian American causes. She was a prominent critic of the Vietnam War and the subsequent othering of Vietnamese and Asian people. In a speech delivered to the First National Conference on Asian American Studies at the University of Southern California, Mink decried the anti-Asian American rhetoric she saw in the United States (Wu & Mink 2022). Furthermore, in this speech, she advocated aggressively for the normalization of Asian American studies across America, stating, “We must become aggressive. We must insist upon the study of Asian culture and history in the earliest years of our schooling. Oriental studies must not only be a fetish for a few wise scholars at universities but it must become a standard part of our school curriculum, both elementary and secondary” (Wu & Mink 2022).  From this, we see that Mink used her position as a U.S. representative to further her agenda of civil rights and anti-racism. To me, Mink’s words and actions throughout her career are very reminiscent of what Diane Fujino and Robyn Rodriguez write in their paper “The Legibility of Asian American Activism Studies.” Here, Fujino and Rodriguez argue that Asian American activism has been prominent yet not very legible in the overall field of Asian American studies and that Asian Americans have long been stereotyped as apolitical (Fujino & Rodriguez 2019). Mink’s career showcases her path as an activist, who, in the cited speech, called for a more aggressive teaching of Asian American history to all Americans. She breaks the mold of being an activist at the forefront of issues, not apolitical or passive.

Mink engaged in Asian American politics in a very direct, mainstream manner. This is demonstrated by her acts as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. To me, Mink is the opposite of another historical Asian American figure we have learned about, Dalip Singh Saund. In Seema Sohi’s article “From Bandung to Little Rock,” she writes how Saund was the first Asian American elected to Congress but did not challenge or address many of the structural issues (regarding race) that hindered other Asian Americans. Specifically, he downplayed the structural racism of American society in visits to Asian nations, willfully ignoring ongoing instances of racial intolerance (at the time, specifically in Little Rock, Arkansas) (Sohi 2022). For further national context, Mink arrived in Congress only two years after Saund. While some argue Mink was a proponent of racial liberalism, similar to Saund, Mink ultimately fought to improve the status quo through broad coalition-building, rather than being complacent (Wu 2019).

For the aforementioned reasons, Mink has been an engaging Asian American figure to look into. One can already tell through surface-level research that her impact on the social fabric of the United States cannot be overstated. Title IX, arguably her most famous achievement, just celebrated its 50th anniversary last June and continues to be a tool for civil rights and equality. As an Asian American from Hawai’i, I found examining and celebrating the history and legacy of such a great figure to be illuminating.

Issue Highlight: Women’s Rights

Mink was known for the broad range of issues she sought to tackle, from ending the Vietnam War to pushing for equal opportunities in education. However, the specific issue that I want to focus on is women’s rights. In the broader context of American society at the time, the first terms that Mink served in Congress coincided with the second-wave feminist movement. I argue that the broader context of the second-wave feminist movement greatly influenced her framing in politics. With more and more women being elected into positions of power, Mink saw feminism and feminist issues as what she must pursue and further the envelope. However, as stated previously, she arrived in Congress at a similar time to many other Asian Americans, including Saund. She likely viewed women’s rights as a more pressing issue as Asian American representation was already being addressed by others. Furthermore, women’s rights relate to Asian American communities and struggles because the rights of all marginalized groups are intertwined. For Mink, “women’s issues were a subcategory of civil rights” for all (Cruz & Yamamoto 2003). 

Looking at Mink’s legislative history, most of what she has done has not explicitly impacted Asian American communities. Some of the things that she did to strengthen Asian American representation in Congress were helping to found the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, where she served as its second chair, and cosponsored H.R. 589, which called for an “immediate termination of military activity” in Vietnam (Keller 2021). However, many of the policies that Mink pushed were geared toward addressing issues concerning women’s rights. Title IX fought discrimination in education based on sex, the Women’s Educational Equity Act worked to provide equal opportunities in education to women, and the Comprehensive Child Development Act sought to implement a national daycare program that would relieve burdens on single parents (History 2021). From these policies, we can see that her main focus was women’s issues. As stated previously, this is unsurprising as the terms that she served in Congress coincided with the second-wave feminist movement.

Bearing this in mind, it is also important to look at the intersectionality of her politics. It is clear from her background that her identity as a Japanese American, with clear experiences of anti-Asian racism, informed her worldview and framing. Furthermore, in a legislative sense, wins for women are also wins for Asian Americans. Equal opportunities for women in education and employment will help all Americans, but it would greatly benefit Asian Americans and other minority women, who have historically faced greater discrimination in these areas (Wingfield 2021). Looking back to the article by Mallapragada, this is similar to how gender and race intersected when examining how Indian immigrants, who were women, were affected by their different identities. Mallapragada specifically writes that the “regulation of women’s bodies and abilities through restrictions around work and financial independence must be read as both a gendered and a racialized mechanism of governance” (Mallapragada 2016). Outside of legislation, Mink was also a vocal advocate for many issues concerning women’s rights. She was strongly opposed to the nominations of G. Harrold Carswell due to his prejudice against women and Clarence Thomas due to the sexual assault allegations brought forth by Anita Hill (Cruz & Yamamoto 2003). She also fought and questioned her own party whenever there were transgressions against women, such as the time when women were unjustly excluded from the slate of delegates to the National Democratic Committee (Cruz & Yamamoto 2003).

Viewing her legacy, Mink’s most famous achievement, Title IX, has had a drastic effect on female participation in collegiate sports. In 1971, women accounted for only 7 percent of varsity athletes, but by 2001, that number skyrocketed to 41.5 percent (Winslow 2010). The positive effects also spilled over, as increased participation in sports has increased women’s access to education, thereby increasing employment opportunities (Winslow 2010). Recently, there have been many challenges and amendments to Title IX. In its history, there have been more than 20 court challenges to the law (Winslow 2010). As for amendments, successive presidential administrations have gone back and forth on how Title IX addresses sexual misconduct claims (Murphy 2023).

Additionally, it should be acknowledged that Mink was the first woman of color to be elected to the House of Representatives and the first Asian American woman to serve in Congress (Alexander 2019). In the context of broader American politics, she was an example of how an Asian American woman could penetrate into greater levels of governance and power, known as descriptive representation. Her position also allowed her a platform to spread her ideals. Unlike other racially liberal political figures like Dalip Singh Saund (Sohi 2022), Mink’s identity as a woman of color heavily influenced her politics, as she sought to use her experiences and cultural authority to reshape the status quo.

Mink’s career also relates directly to the article by Fujino and Rodriguez, as her career in politics coincides with their historiography of Asian American activism studies (Fujino & Rodriguez 2019). Furthermore, Mink’s career breaks with the trope of Asian Americans being apolitical non-activists. As mentioned previously, her background and experience as a woman of Japanese descent informed her views surrounding race, class, and gender relations. This spilled over into her work, leading to her passing legislation and advocating for the rights of minorities, specifically women.

Overall, while Patsy Mink had meaningful contributions on a myriad of issues, her most famous and lasting achievements are those advancing women’s rights. These contributions to women’s rights undoubtedly affect the rights of Asian Americans. Furthermore, her achievements in representational politics have furthered causes that champion empowerment for Asian American women.

Impact on Asian American Issues

Mink’s career prioritized gender issues and viewed them as more salient than racial and class issues. Research on the topic backs this up, as a study by Rogers and Meltzoff (2017) backs this phenomenon. Her major pieces of legislation, like Title IX, also demonstrate her priorities. Gender issues likely became the forefront of Mink’s agenda due to her previously mentioned framing in a larger national context.

However, it is interesting to contrast Mink with Saund. As laid out by Sohi (2022), Saund was the first Asian American to be elected into Congress. He was a great example of descriptive representation, as his mere presence in the halls of Congress was groundbreaking. However, as Sohi (2022) points out, Saund did not do much to alleviate the racial barriers that other Asian Americans faced. His work was extremely racially liberal or devoid of focus on racial issues. Instead, he took a very conservative stance, telling other immigrant communities to pull themselves up and not depend on the government for help (Sohi 2022). Looking at Mink’s career, it might look very similar on the surface. She was the first Asian American woman to serve in Congress, but in line with what has been stated before, she did not seem to focus much on Asian American issues in her career. However, Saund and Mink diverge on their overall approach to social issues. While Saund took a racially liberal and socially conservative stance, Mink set her focus on women’s issues, which she saw as a bigger issue. Additionally, she made small contributions to furthering Asian American representation, such as being a founder of the Asian American Congressional Caucus or making speeches advocating for the furthering of Asian American studies.

Additionally, while Mink’s career did not deal explicitly with racial issues, specifically those affecting Asian American communities, she was still a beacon of descriptive representation. What entirely separates Mink and Saund is how they went after they each achieved their descriptive representation. After Saund was elected, he worked with the US government to smooth its racial image across the world, often ignoring major issues happening at the time. In contrast, Mink fought her entire life for racial and feminist justice, from college to Congress. While Mink mainly used her Congressional career to focus on women’s issues, she never entirely forgot racial issues or resorted to racial liberalism. Her presence in Congress and as an activist also helped to break the trope of Asian Americans being apolitical.

Ultimately, Patsy Mink was a trailblazer. She created and supported groundbreaking legislation, like Title IX, and continuously advocated for better conditions for women and Asian American communities. While not successful in everything she tried, like her run for President in 1972, her career shines a light on how far Asian American women have come. Her legacy shows the struggle of what it took to make a change in the past and what it will take to make a change in the future.

Bibliography

Alexander, Kerri Lee. “Patsy Mink.” National Women’s History Museum, 2019. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/patsy-mink.

Cruz, Tania, and Eric Yamamoto. “A Tribute to Patsy Takemoto Mink .” Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal 4, no. 2 (Summer 2003).

Fujino, Diane C., and Robyn M. Rodriguez. “The Legibility of Asian American Activism Studies.” Amerasia Journal 45, no. 2 (2019): 111–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/00447471.2019.1687253.

History.com Editors. “Patsy T. Mink Sworn in as First Asian American Woman and Woman of Color in Congress | January 4, 1964.” History.com, 2021. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patsy-mink-sworn-in-first-asian-american-woman-of-color-in-congress.

Keller, Michael. “Patsy Mink.” Rise Up for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders – Spotlight at Stanford, April 10, 2021. https://exhibits.stanford.edu/riseup/feature/patsy-mink.

Lin, May. “From Alienated to Activists: Expressions and Formation of Group Consciousness among Asian American Young Adults.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 46, no. 7 (2018): 1405–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183x.2018.1495067.

Mallapragada, Madhavi. “Immigrant Activism: Narratives of the ‘H-4 Life’ by Indian Women on YouTube.” Communication, Culture & Critique 10, no. 1 (2016): 76–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/cccr.12147.

Matsuda, Mari J., Tania Cruz, and Eric Yamamoto. “A Tribute to Patsy Takemoto Mink.” Essay. In Called from within: Early Women Lawyers of Hawai’i, 251–80. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press, 1992.

Murphy, Colleen. “‘new Wave of Litigation’ Expected on Proposed Title IX Changes, Now Delayed.” Law.com, June 9, 2023. https://www.law.com/2023/06/09/new-wave-of-litigation-expected-on-proposed-title-ix-changes-now-delayed-until-october/?slreturn=20231007233927.

Rogers, Leoandra Onnie, and Andrew N. Meltzoff. “Is Gender More Important and Meaningful than Race? An Analysis of Racial and Gender Identity among Black, White, and Mixed-Race Children.” Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 23, no. 3 (2017): 323–34. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000125.

Sohi, Seema. “From Bandung to Little Rock: Dalip Singh Saund and the Limits of Racial Liberalism.” Amerasia Journal 48, no. 1 (2022): 83–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/00447471.2022.2152268.

Wingfield, Adia Harvey. “Women Are Advancing in the Workplace, but Women of Color Still Lag Behind.” Brookings, January 6, 2021. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/women-are-advancing-in-the-workplace-but-women-of-color-still-lag-behind/.

Winslow, Barbara. “The Impact of Title IX.” The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, 2010. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/impact-title-ix.

Wu, Judy Tzu-Chun, and Gwendolyn Mink. Fierce and fearless: Patsy Takemoto Mink, first woman of color in Congress. New York, NY: New York University Press, 2022.

Wu, Judy Tzu-Chun, and Gwendolyn Mink. “How Congress’ First Woman of Color Helped Craft Title IX.” Time, June 1, 2022. https://time.com/6174298/patsy-takemoto-mink-title-ix/. 

Wu, Judy Tzu-Chun. “The Dead, the Living, and the Sacred.” Meridians 18, no. 2 (2019): 304–31. https://doi.org/10.1215/15366936-7775729.