Hiroto Hirashima
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hiroto "Hiro" Hirashima, (born July 11, 1910, died November 23, 2007) in Kaneohe, Hawaii, was a Japanese-American who was pivotal in obtaining equal rights and privileges for his fellow Japanese-American bowlers, as well as other minorities at a time when non-caucasians were not eligible for American Bowling Congress (ABC) membership.
In 1963, he was elected to the ABC board of directors, becoming the first minority to serve on the board. With ABC’s racial barrier removed, he organized nine teams for the 1954 ABC Tournament in Seattle.
Hirashima was inducted into the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame as an ABC Pioneer in 1995. He is the founder of the Hawaii State Bowling Association and the Oahu Bowling Association. He is an ABC life member and served on the ABC Board of Directors for over 30 years.
He was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame by Governor Ben Cayetano in 1997.
