Once Inouye returned home after the war, he left home again to earn a degree in economics, graduating in 1950. He then went on to pursue a law degree, graduating from the George Washington University’s law school in 1952.
He soon entered Hawaiian politics, winning the election to the Territorial House of Representatives in 1954, and eventually the Territorial Senate in 1956. |
Three years after his election in 1959 to the Territorial Senate, Hawaii officially became a U.S state, making Inouye the first Japanese American to serve in Congress.
In 1962, Inouye was elected to the the U.S. Senate, becoming the first ever Hawaiian Senator and keeping that position till his death. |