Early on, she noticed the inequality between the
haole or white people who owned the island's plantations and the plantation workers who were mostly Japanese or Filipino. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, she experienced even more inequality and injustice when her father was taken for questioning because of his Japanese heritage even though he had been born in Hawaii. Fortunately, he was released but many others were not. This event left a lasting impression on Mink. In Sue Davidson's book,
A Heart in Politics, she recalled that the "experience was an important part of my development. It made me realize that one could not take citizenship and the promise of the U.S. Constitution for granted."
A Change in Plans
Mink was an excellent student and became the first female class president. She graduated from Maui High School at 16 and was valedictorian of the class of 1944. She then went on to the University of Hawaii where she wanted to study medicine. With the end of World War II, she was able to travel to the U.S. mainland and decided to transfer to Wilson College in Pennsylvania.
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