The effort to name a city park after the late U.S. Sen. Hiram Fong has struck out ... again.

Last month, the Kalihi Neighborhood Board voted unanimously against a proposal to rename Aala International Park after Fong.

It's the third time a community has opposed re naming a park after the first Asian -American U.S. Senator and the first Hawaii-born person to seek a U.S. presidential nomination. At the time, 1964, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was only 3 years old.

Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou is leading the effort to commemorate Fong with a park named in his honor.

Djou said he's frustrated that he can't find a city venue to honor Fong.

“;He was a path-breaking American who broke barriers for the nation as a whole,”; he said. “;The fact that we can't find a facility to appropriately honor him for that is obviously very disappointing.”;

Kalihi Neighborhood Board Chairwoman Bernadette Young said the board kept the park's name because it's Hawaiian and the landmark park has been known by that name since 1871. Changing the name would confuse people, she said.

Young, who added that she respects Fong, said Djou should pick a park from his own district, East Oahu, which has more parks than Kalihi.

But Djou said Aala Park is more appropriate because it is in Kalihi and next to Chinatown, the district Fong represented while in the territorial house. Fong grew up in Kalihi and started his business, Finance Factors, in Chinatown.

Previous attempts to name a park in Fong's honor also were shot down.

In 2005, the Downtown Neighborhood Board opposed renaming Smith-Beretania Park in Chinatown because some said the community fought for the park and that Fong didn't do much for Chinatown.

The next year, the Kahaluu community opposed an effort to rename Kahaluu Regional Park after the senator. Fong spent his last years in Kahaluu. Some community leaders said it was inappropriate to rename the park after Fong because he wanted to build a shopping center on land that is now part of the park.

Born in Hawaii to illiterate Chinese immigrants, Fong graduated from Harvard Law School and served in the U.S. Senate from 1959 to 1977. In 1964 and 1968, he sought the Republican presidential nomination.

Also a millionaire businessman, Fong helped create the financial company Finance Factors. He died at 97 in 2004.

Djou began his efforts to name a city park after Fong in 2005 as a member of a state commission tasked with honoring Fong at the federal, state and local levels.

Fong has been honored at other levels of government. The Kapalama post office was named after Fong and there is a University of Hawaii endowment in his name.

Djou said he will not pursue renaming Aala Park over the community's opposition and is still looking for an appropriate honor for the senator.

“;At this stage,”; he said, “;I welcome some ideas from the public.”;