For a long time, Mazie Hirono thought of herself as one of the quiet ones — hardworking and well-prepared, caring but stoic — formed in the image of the Japanese American women who raised her.

But in recent years, Sen. Hirono, D-Hawaii — the only immigrant serving in the U.S. Senate — has turned heads for her increasingly tough, no-B.S. style and a willingness to challenge not just Republicans but her own Democratic party.

The turning point, she said in an interview with NPR, was catalyzed by the Trump administration and the conduct of the former president himself.

The Quiet Rage Of Mazie Hirono
“He opened the floodgates to the vocal side of me and the recognition that I had that I better speak up, because this guy is a bully and we need to stand up to bullies,” she said. “And I began to do that more.”

This year, she’s taken the lead on organizing a congressional response to the spasm of anti-Asian violence that’s rocked the country. The senator joined Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., in introducing legislation that aims to combat coronavirus-related hate crimes by stepping up federal review of such crimes and facilitating public reporting of hate crimes at the state and local level.