American politician

Faye P. Hanohano (born December 21, 1953 in Hilo, Hawaii) is an American politician and was a Democratic member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from January 2007 to January 2015 representing District 4. Hanohano is a member of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Education

Hanohano earned her AD in political science from Hawaii Community College, her BA in sociology from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and earned her MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Elections

Controversies

In 2013, Hanohano became offended as workers for Hawaii's State Foundation on Culture and the Arts were hanging several works of art in her capitol office. Hanohano confronted the workers, stating that she did not want any art created by "Haoles, Japs or Pakes" and threatened to cut the department's funding. She later apologized for the racially charged comments in a speech before the House of Representatives whose sincerity would be questioned by local observers.

In 2014, Hanohano again faced controversy over racially insensitive comments, this time on the floor of the House. During a meeting of the Ocean Management and Hawaiian Affairs committee that she chairs, Rep. Hanohano responded to testimony of Hawaii Pacific University student Aarin Jacobs about measures to protect sea life by angrily demanding to know why "all of you westerners want to come over here and tell us what to do". It was reported on March 1, 2014, that the Hawaiian House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the matter, but that Rep. Hanohano had refused to apologize for the remark.