With Obligation to All

Book excerpt: The epic story of the post-war transformation of Hawaii comes to life here, in the pages of With Obligation to All. George R. Ariyoshi was the youngest of the young Democrats who rose to power in the Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii in 1954. Twenty years later he became the first nonwhite governor of an American state, serving an unequaled 13 years as Hawaii's chief executive. Ariyoshi believed in equality, opportunity, and mutual obligation. In the application of his philosophy, he nurtured a community-building form of government that was a model of fairness and openness. He worked patiently at diminishing the persistent prejudice directed against people of Japanese ancestry in America. To people of all backgrounds, he quietly but steadfastly preached a gospel of self-acceptance--of individuals contributing by being themselves.