Alaska, Hawaii brought diversity, change to U.S. as 49th, 50th states

Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union as the 49th and 50th states.

Americans born after statehood probably do not know that the debate regarding statehood had its contentious moments.

Citizens from the era probably have forgotten the circumstances — or have engaged in what Catholic social ethicist Daniel Maguire calls “the enduring American sin of denial.”

Congressional Quarterly’s Almanac for 1958 reports:

“Underlying the arguments against statehood for both Hawaii and Alaska was the unwillingness of Southern members of Congress to increase the number of votes from areas unsympathetic to segregation.”

To supporters of Jim Crow, Alaska and Hawaii had the added disadvantage of diversity.

Native Americans had a significant presence in Alaska, and still do.

Hawaiians, Polynesians, Japanese, Chinese and others gave Hawaii a polyglot identity, which it retains.

Southerners in particular considered Hawaii’s mosaic an affront to their pretentions to racial exclusivity.

Other chapters are more amusing.

Experts at the time expected Alaska to vote Democratic, Hawaii to vote Republican.

Both states cast their first presidential votes in 1960.

Democrats have carried Alaska only once, in 1964.

Republicans have carried Hawaii only twice, in 1972 and 1984.

Note that all three years marked landslide re-elections (for Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan).

File this under coincidence: Republican women hold the governorships in Hawaii and Alaska.

Few mainlanders can name Linda Lingle as Hawaii’s governor.

Those who can’t name the governor of Alaska flunk a test in basic citizenship.

— Media General News Service