Issue Position: Equality

Issue Position

Colleen's great-grandparents came to Hawai"i over a century ago to work on the sugar plantations. Although they were native-born American citizens, both of her grandfathers were sent to internment camps during World War II simply because they were of Japanese ancestry and the U.S. government believed that made them untrustworthy.

At a young age Colleen learned all about racism, discrimination, and the plight of minorities struggling to find fair footing in the world.

As a woman who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s, she is all too familiar with the professional and social battles that women have had to fight to gain equal footing with men. Sadly, today, there are still those in the Congress who do not believe that a woman has the right to manage her body. Some also believe that women cannot be wives or mothers AND hardworking professionals.

Colleen firmly believes in women's right to choose, and is a staunch proponent of equal pay for equal work. She supports same-sex marriage because she believes that everyone should have the right to marry whomever they wish. Love is love.

Her long history of supporting federal recognition for Native Hawaiians proves that she will not give up that struggle. They deserve the same rights and privileges already enjoyed by hundreds of indigenous groups in America. Such recognition is long overdue.

Colleen strongly believes that one of the truths that make this country great is that no one should be discriminated against because of race, gender, religion or sexual orientation. Everyone should be free to be exactly who they are, and she stands committed to fighting for equality for all Americans.

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