Senator Mazie Hirono's New Memoir Is An Ode to Her Mother

Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawai’i is the first Asian American woman and only immigrant currently serving in the U.S. Senate. In her new book Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter Story, she describes how emigrating from Japan as a child to the multicultural islands of Hawai’i led her to a life of advocating for others. It’s an intimate account of her evolution from a determined but soft-spoken public servant, who climbed the political ranks from the state legislature to the U.S. Senate, where today she is known as one of the most outspoken Democrats. KVCR's Megan Jamerson spoke to the senator Monday where they began by talking about her mother, Laura Hirono, who died last week at the age of 96.