Mink, Patsy (1927-2002), a Democrat from Hawaii, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1977 and later from 1990 until her death in 2002. Mink was the first woman of color and first Asian American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. 
Patsy Matsu Takemoto was born on Dec. 6, 1927, in Paia, on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Her parents were second-generation Japanese immigrants. Mink attended the University of Hawaii in Honolulu and later transferred to Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Later, she studied at the University of Nebraska. In 1947, Mink returned to Hawaii to undergo thyroid surgery. She completed her studies at the University of Hawaii, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and zoology in 1948.
Mink applied unsuccessfully to several medical schools. She enrolled in law school at the University of Chicago in 1948 with few other women in her class. In Chicago, she met John Mink, a U.S. Air Force veteran studying geology. The couple married in January 1951. She graduated from law school in the spring of that year.
Mink became the first Japanese American woman licensed to practice law in Hawaii in 1953. However, her search for employment as an attorney was complicated by racism and sexism. She opened her own private firm, specializing in criminal and family law, and began teaching law classes at the University of Hawaii.
When Hawaii became a state in 1959, Mink ran for its single seat in the House of Representatives but lost. After the 1960 census, a second seat was allotted to Hawaii. In 1964, Mink ran and won election to the House, serving from 1965 to 1977. In 1976, Mink ran for election to the Senate and lost. She served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs from 1977 to 1978.
Mink served on the Honolulu City Council from 1983 to 1987. While on the council, Mink ran for governor of Hawaii in 1986 and mayor of Honolulu in 1988, losing both elections. In 1990, Mink was chosen to complete the remaining term of Representative Daniel Akaka, who was appointed to the Senate during his term. She was reelected six times.
Mink is known for co-authoring Title IX, a 1972 United States federal civil rights law that protects against sex discrimination in education. Mink advocated for bilingual (two-language) education, free childcare, and ending the Vietnam War (1957-1975). Mink died from pneumonia on Sept. 28, 2002, while she was running for reelection to the House of Representatives, winning election after her death. Congress renamed Title IX the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act in 2002.
