Passionate Civil Rights Advocate

When Blake Oshiro ’92 made the most important speech of his political career, he based it on an analogy drawn from a Greek myth he had studied as an English major at USC Dornsife.

It was 2010 and Oshiro was the Democratic majority leader in the Hawaii House of Representatives. The Islands of Aloha were embroiled in a highly charged debate over civil union for same-sex couples — a deeply controversial issue in a state that traditionally had strongly resisted same-sex unions.

“When I gave my speech, I used the myth of Sisyphus, condemned to eternally push a boulder up a hill, as an analogy for the ongoing battle faced by civil union advocates,” Oshiro said.

Civil union was an issue that lay close to Oshiro’s heart and he was determined to convince his fellow lawmakers that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, should have the right to legal union with the person they love.

In an effort to achieve that cherished goal, he had recently taken a courageous step. Though family and close friends had long known he was gay, Oshiro came out publicly during Hawaii’s civil union debate.

“I thought it was important that I state that unequivocally so that people knew what I stood for and why I was fighting for this,” he said.

The bill passed. Oshiro went on to beat socially conservative challenger Gary Okino in his 2010 race for re-election and to serve as one of the leading political strategists involved in passing same sex marriage in Hawaii.

“Getting that vote felt like we had finally overcome the long battle of moving that boulder,” Oshiro said. “It was a victory for gay rights and it was reaffirming for me to realize that so many community, political and business leaders supported me and hadn’t rejected me.”

The experience, he said, taught him not to be afraid of doing the right thing.

“Seeing the movement towards equality was extremely heartwarming and rewarding for me. It’s one of my greatest personal achievements because it really demonstrated to me why I wanted to be in elected office in the first place, which was to make a difference.”

Oshiro’s proudest professional achievement, he said, has been his ability to maintain good relationships with his colleagues, despite the harsh and bitter infighting that is often a reality of political life.

“They understood my role, and even if I had to be tough or hold people accountable, they knew I did it for the betterment of our majority caucus,” Oshiro said.

Growing up in a Honolulu suburb, the son of a blue-collar electrician and an elementary school teacher, Oshiro never considered a career in politics, although a teenage fascination with the TV show L.A. Law ignited a desire to move to Los Angeles, attend USC and become a lawyer.

“It wasn’t until I was majoring in English at USC Dornsife and my professors showed me the big picture — how politics interrelates with history, social studies, literature and art — that I became fascinated with political science,” he said.

After returning to Hawaii for law school, Oshiro volunteered with the Sierra Club. He was helping with lobbying efforts when several young legislators convinced him to stand for election.

Oshiro threw his hat into the ring and was elected as representative of Hawaii’s 33rd District in 2000. He held the post until 2011, serving as Democratic majority leader from 2008 until his final term ended.

Oshiro said his USC Dornsife education gave him excellent communication skills.

“That’s extremely important when it comes to any public office, but especially so in political office, where the ability to be precise, accurate and still convey a strong sense of sincerity is paramount,” he said.

Oshiro was also able to put those skills to great use while serving from 2011–14 as deputy chief of staff to then-Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie — a job that required Oshiro not only to be the governor’s primary political and policy adviser and to oversee the state budget, but also to write Abercrombie’s annual state-of-the state speech.

Oshiro believes the most important value in politics is credibility.

“People need to know they can rely on your word, that you’re not misleading them and that you’ll give them the answer and the information they need. I’m grateful it was a lesson I learned early because it contributed to a lot of my successes. However, it led to some failures, too, because if people ask me a tough question, I’ll give them the honest answer, even if it won’t necessarily help my cause.”

Before getting into politics, Oshiro said he shared much of the population’s cynicism about politicians. “Having worked with great political leaders, my view of why a majority of people get into public office really changed. I found most have a sincerely held belief of wanting to make things better and contribute to our society by becoming civic leaders. That’s really heartening to me.

“Having seen democracy at work, I think it’s an extremely messy and complicated system, but I do think it’s one of the best forms of government that exists. The level of debate and exchanges of insults in this presidential election are very disheartening, but I’m still optimistic that at the end of the day a sense of diplomacy and maturity, and an overall sense of doing what’s best for our country will prevail.”

When Abercrombie was not re-elected, Oshiro opted to return to the private sector. He is now executive vice president of Capitol Consultants of Hawaii, one of the largest lobbying firms in the state.

“After 14 years of public service, 11 in elected office in the House of Representatives and three in the governor’s office, I felt it was time for me to try something different,” Oshiro said. “People ask me all the time if I’m ever going to return to politics and elected office. I tell them I’ll never say never, but it has to be the right time and opportunity.”

Read more stories from USC Dornsife Magazine’s Fall 2016-Spring 2017 issue >>