U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and 20 of her colleagues have introduced a resolution to commemorate the life and legacy of the late Hawaii Congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink.

Mink served in in the U.S. House of Representatives for 12 terms and was the first woman of color to serve in Congress, the resolution states. This coming Nov. 3 will mark the 55th anniversary of Mink’s election to Congress.

“My friend Patsy Mink was a champion for social and economic justice, equality and civil rights for women and marginalized communities,” Hirono said in a news release. “She was a trailblazer who never backed down from a challenge and whose work in Hawaii and Congress brought positive change to the lives of women, children, and minorities in Hawaii and across the country. It is an honor to play a part in carrying on her legacy and continuing the important work that she started.”

All seventeen Democratic women senators have signed the resolution, according to Hirono.

Judy Wu, chair of the University of California, Irvine’s Department of Asian American Studies, said Mink is one of the most under recognized individuals in U.S. History.

“Patsy Takemoto Mink is one of the most under recognized individuals in U.S. History,” said Wu in a news release. “Coming from islands in the middle of the Pacific, Mink made a tremendous impact on the U.S. nation through her advocacy of anti-war, feminist, and environmental politics. She fundamentally believed in the civic right and obligation to speak up and make our society better. As a woman of color, she advocated for others relegated to the margins of U.S. society. She amplified their voices, brought attention to their issues and fought for equal right and justice. To honor Patsy Mink is to honor the promise of the United States.”

Others said Mink represented change for millions of women and Asian Americans who did not have many role models in Congress, and noted her flagship initiatives including her childcare bill and Title IX initiative promoting equal access to opportunities for women and girls. She was also known for bringing to light the injustice that Japanese Americans faced in internment camps during World War II.

In 2014, President Obama posthumously awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) cosponsored the resolution.

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