Hiroto "Hiro" Hirashima, (July 11, 1910 – November 23, 2007) of Kaneohe, Hawaii, was a Japanese-American
who was pivotal in obtaining equal rights

Civil rights

Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...

 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.

With ABC’s racial barrier finally removed in 1950, Hirashima organized nine teams of Nisei

Nisei

During the early years of World War II, Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes in the Pacific coast states because military leaders and public opinion combined to fan unproven fears of sabotage...

 bowlers for the 1954 ABC Tournament in Seattle. In 1963, he was elected to the ABC board of directors, becoming the first minority to serve on the board.

Hirashima was inducted into the USBC

United States Bowling Congress

The United States Bowling Congress is a sports membership organization dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. It was formed in 2005 by a merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance, and USA Bowling...

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 was honored as an ABC life member in 1995, 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.