Roland M. Kotani (June 15, 1954 – July 28, 1989) was an American politician and Democratic member of the

Hawaii State House of Representatives The Hawaii House of Representatives is the lower house of the Hawaii State Legislature. Pursuant to Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution of Hawaii, amended during the 1978 constitutional convention, the House of Representatives consis ...

. Kotani served as assistant majority floor leader and represented the

Pearl City Pearl City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in the Ewa District and City & County of Honolulu on the Island of Oahu. As of the 2010 Census, the CDP had a total population of 47,698. Pearl City is located ...

Pacific Palisades area. He was killed by his estranged wife Grace Kotani on July 28, 1989, at the age of 35.

Biography

A Japanese American, Kotani graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

and in 1984 he was the editor of '' Ka Huliau (The Turning Point)'', a self-described "Hawaiian Grassroots Journal." The journal was launched in early 1983 and published every six weeks, with an estimated circulation of 3,000. Kotani's particular focus was on the resurgence of the local people's movement. He worked as an editorial assistant for

The Hawaii Herald ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

. Kotani authored the book ''The Japanese in Hawaii: A Century of Struggle'' in 1985, writing extensively on the

100th Infantry Battalion The 100th Infantry Battalion ( ja, 第100歩兵大隊, ''Dai Hyaku Hohei Daitai'') is the only infantry unit in the United States Army Reserve. In World War II, the then-primarily Nisei battalion was composed largely of former members of the H ...

. During this time, he worked as an assistant to the

Governor of Hawaii The governor of Hawaii ( haw, Ke Kiaʻaina o Hawaiʻi) is the head of government of the U.S. state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a direct ...

and

Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii The lieutenant governor of Hawaii ( haw, Hope kiaʻāina o Hawaiʻi) is the assistant chief executive of the U.S. state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Article V, Sections 2 though 6 of the Constitution of H ...

. He was nominated to the Hawaii State House of Representatives in 1987 by the State Governor

John Waihee John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

to replace representative Eloise Tungpalan who was appointed to the

Hawaii State Senate The Hawaii Senate is the upper house of the Hawaii State Legislature. It consists of twenty-five members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands and is led by the President of the Senate, elected from the membe ...

. Kotani was later elected to the House unopposed in 1988. He married Grace Sadako Imura in 1979 and they had a daughter together. The couple separated in February 1989 and became estranged. On July 28, 1989, as a result of a domestic dispute, Grace attacked Kotani with a hammer and beat him to death. The killing took place in a rented duplex in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

. The medical examination report stated Kotani sustained blunt force trauma to the head. Grace later presented herself to the

Honolulu Police Department The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, headquartered in the Alapa'i Police Headquarters in Honolulu CDP. Officially recognized as a part of the government of the ...

and confessed to the murder, before excusing herself to the restroom where she fatally shot herself.

Legacy

The

University of Hawaii at Manoa A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

launched the Roland Kotani Scholarship in his memory at the University's Department of

Ethnic Studies Ethnic studies, in the United States, is the interdisciplinary study of difference—chiefly race, ethnicity, and nation, but also sexuality, gender, and other such markings—and power, as expressed by the state, by civil society, and by indivi ...

. Kotani was also acknowledged in several state resolutions passed by the Hawaii State Legislature. Kotani's murder is studied in detail as a case study in Hawaii

crime scene A crime scene is any location that may be associated with a committed crime. Crime scenes contain physical evidence that is pertinent to a criminal investigation. This evidence is collected by crime scene investigators (CSI) and law enforcemen ...

investigation books.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotani, Roland M. 1954 births 1989 deaths Yale University alumni Democratic Party members of the Hawaii House of Representatives Hawaii politicians of Japanese descent American writers of Japanese descent People murdered in Hawaii 20th-century American politicians Mariticides