Kim Coco Iwamoto
Encyclopedia
Kim Coco Iwamoto was a member of the Hawaii
Board of Education. Iwamoto was elected in November 2006, making her at that time the highest ranking transgender
elected official in the United States and the first transgender official to win statewide office. She was reelected in 2010 with 25% more votes than in 2006.
Iwamoto, a Japanese-American born on the island of Kauai
, is a graduate of St. Louis High School. She received an A.A. in Merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology
, a B.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University
, and her J.D.
from the University of New Mexico School of Law
.
Iwamoto publicly opposed passage of California
's Proposition 8
, outlawing same-sex marriages in California. She has stated that Proposition 8 reminds her of her mother's internment
during World War II
and believes the proposition is a violation of essential civil rights, stating, "The country has acknowledged that [internment] as a mistake, to just go with populous fear to oppress a specific group. I think we're going to look back at this kind of oppression as a mistake."
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
Board of Education. Iwamoto was elected in November 2006, making her at that time the highest ranking transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
elected official in the United States and the first transgender official to win statewide office. She was reelected in 2010 with 25% more votes than in 2006.
Iwamoto, a Japanese-American born on the island of Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
, is a graduate of St. Louis High School. She received an A.A. in Merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology
Fashion Institute of Technology
The Fashion Institute of Technology, generally known as FIT, is a State University of New York college of art, business, design, and technology connected to the fashion industry, with an urban campus located on West 27th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of...
, a B.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, and her J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of New Mexico School of Law
University of New Mexico School of Law
The University of New Mexico School of Law is the law school of the University of New Mexico, located in Albuquerque. It is the only law school in the state of New Mexico. Approximately 350 students attend the school, with approximately 115 enrolled in the first-year class...
.
Iwamoto publicly opposed passage of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's Proposition 8
California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
, outlawing same-sex marriages in California. She has stated that Proposition 8 reminds her of her mother's internment
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and believes the proposition is a violation of essential civil rights, stating, "The country has acknowledged that [internment] as a mistake, to just go with populous fear to oppress a specific group. I think we're going to look back at this kind of oppression as a mistake."