NEW YORK — Sen. Mazie Hirono, the Senate’s first Asian American woman and only current immigrant, is working on a memoir.
Viking announced Tuesday that the book, currently untitled, will come out in 2021.
Hirono, 72, will write about emigrating at age 8 to the United States after her mother fled an abusive marriage in Japan. In a statement issued through Viking, Hirono said the book was a tribute to her mother’s spirit.
“My deep emotional connection to my mother, a remarkable woman who made a hard choice to save her children, and who valiantly struggled to care for us as a single parent, is the current that has driven my entire life,” Hirono said in a statement. “Now, because she can no longer bear witness for herself, I am choosing to bear witness on her behalf by telling the story of the daughter she inspired to live boldly and to fight for the promises of this country.”
Hirono, a Democrat, is currently serving her second term in the Senate. She made news last year as a leading critic of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who faced allegations of sexual harassment and attempted assault. Kavanaugh, who was narrowly confirmed, denied the allegations.