Iwamoto is Japanese-American and was born on the island of Kauai. Iwamoto's mother went into labor at a private party hosted by Grace Guslander to celebrate the expansion of her Coco Palms Resort, and Iwamoto was then born the next day. Guslander visited Iwamoto's mother in the hospital with a bouquet of flowers, a card, and a request to name Iwamoto “Coco” after her internationally award-winning hotel.
Her paternal great-grandparents left Japan to work in the sugar cane plantations of Kauaʻi. Iwamoto's paternal grandmother met her paternal grandfather at Tip-Top Restaurant on Kauai, where she was working as a cashier. The two used their family cars to start a taxi company, which eventually expanded to a tour company and a rental-car company. Iwamoto's father began working for the family business in high school as a car washer, and their collective efforts became known as Roberts Hawaii. Iwamoto's maternal grandparents left Japan to grow cantaloupe and other produce in Imperial Valley, California. During World War II, Iwamoto's mother and her family were forced into internment camps in Poston, Arizona. Iwamoto's uncles were released from the internment camp to enlist in the military to serve the United States of America. Eventually the entire family was released and they returned to their farm. When Iwamoto's mother was in high school, she contributed to the family business by taking care of all the bookkeeping.
A passion for advocacy
Shortly after finishing her undergraduate degree, Iwamoto moved back to New York City where she had attended FIT. It was here that she became more aware of social injustice. Using her own life experience as a transgender woman, Iwamoto spent time volunteering at a local community center, helping youth develop leadership skills. It was here that her passions for helping houseless youth and LGBTQ houseless youth were fostered. Helping youth like the ones she worked with in New York was part of her motivation for attending law school. When Iwamoto returned to Hawaii she became a licensed therapeutic foster parent.
Public service and business experience
Iwamoto recently served as a commissioner on the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, appointed by Governor Neil Abercrombie to serve the four-year term from 2012 to 2016. She also previously served two terms with the Hawaii Board of Education, Oahu-at-Large from 2006 to 2011. Iwamoto's election as a trans woman in November 2006 made her, at that time, the highest ranking openly transgender elected official in the United States and the first openly transgender official to win statewide office. She was reelected in 2010 with 25% more votes than in 2006. Iwamoto's other work experiences include serving as Managing Attorney at Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii and facilitating affordable housing through AQuA Rentals, LLC. Her volunteer work includes serving on the Board of Directors for both Kūlia Nā Mamo and Hawaiʻi People’s Fund.
Iwamoto announced her bid for Lieutenant Governor in November 2017. Although she received more than 34,000 votes in the Democratic primary, she lost the party nomination to Sen. Josh Green.
Iwamoto was recognized as a Champion of Change by President Barack Obama. Iwamoto publicly opposed passage of California's Proposition 8, outlawing same-sex marriages in California. She has stated that Proposition 8 reminds her of her mother's internment during World War II and believes the proposition is a violation of essential civil rights, stating, "The country has acknowledged that as a mistake, to just go with populous fear to oppress a specific group. I think we're going to look back at this kind of oppression as a mistake."
