Birth Name: Yau Leong Fong
Date of Birth: October 15, 1906
Place of Birth: Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, U.S.
Date of Death: August 18, 2004
Place of Death: Kahaluu, Hawaii, U.S.
Ethnicity: Chinese
Hiram Fong was an American politician and businessperson. A Republican, he served as a U.S. Senator from Hawaii, from August 21, 1959 to January 3, 1977.
Hiram was a candidate for the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1964 and 1968.
Hiram was born in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, U.S., the son of Lum Shee and Fong Sau Howe. His parents were Chinese. His father was born in Zhong Xian, China.
Hiram’s paternal grandfather was Gung Sung Fong.
Hiram was the first Asian-American to mount a notable campaign for a major American political party’s nomination for President of the United States. Other Asian-Americans who have mounted plausible or semi-plausible campaigns for a major party’s presidential nomination are:
*Patsy Mink (who sought the 1972 Democratic nomination; Mink was of Japanese descent)
*Bobby Jindal (who sought the 2016 Republican nomination; Jindal is of Indian descent)