Obit Ariyoshi

FILE - Former Hawaii Gov. George Ariyoshi, left, and and Princess Abigail Kawananakoa, center, arrive before oral arguments at the Hawaii State Supreme Court in Honolulu, Aug. 27, 2015.

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Former Hawaii Gov. George Ariyoshi, the 1st US governor of Asian American descent, dies at 100

Former Hawaii Gov. George Ariyoshi, the 1st US governor of Asian American descent, dies at 100

Former Hawaii Gov. George R. Ariyoshi — the nation’s first Asian American governor — has died at the age of 100. Current Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says Ariyoshi, a Democrat who led the state from 1973 to 1986, died peacefully while surrounded by family on Sunday night. Ariyoshi  rose from lieutenant governor to acting governor when Gov. John Burns fell ill with cancer. Ariyoshi then went on to win the office outright in 1974 and was reelected in 1978 and 1982. Hawaii's governors are now subject to a two-term limit. His political career coincided with the Democratic Party’s rise to power in Hawaii.