[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 96 (Thursday, July 21, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       TRIBUTE TO FRANK H. OGAWA

                                 ______


                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 21, 1994

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Frank Ogawa--a 
dedicated public servant, outstanding civil rights leader, and loving 
husband and father--who passed away earlier this month in Oakland, CA. 
Having been friends with Frank and having served with him on the Bay 
Area Air Quality Management District Board for many years, I know he 
will be sorely missed. But I also know that his contributions to the 
city of Oakland, the bay area, and the Asian-American community will 
endure for generations to come.
  Frank Ogawa was a remarkable person because he could take personal 
misfortune and turn it into a positive learning experience for himself 
and others. When Frank and Grace Ogawa were forced to sell their 
belongings and live in interment camps during World War II, they had to 
sleep on straw mattresses in horse stalls for six months before being 
shipped to a camp in Utah to spend another 3\1/2\ years in confinement. 
Despite this mistreatment and injustice, he never lost faith in the 
United States. Just the opposite--he strived to prove his loyalty to 
his country and became an internationally recognized champion of Asian-
Americans in the process.
  After World War II, Frank Ogawa returned to Oakland and succeeded in 
breaking a series of social and racial barriers. When local residents 
objected to him moving into an exclusive neighborhood, he responded by 
becoming an integral part of their community and joining a host of 
previously all-white organizations like the Rotary Club.
  Having served 5 years on the Oakland Parks Commission, Frank Ogawa 
was elected to the city council in 1966, making him the first Japanese-
American to hold a council seat in a major city in the continental 
United States. He held that position for 28 years until his passing--
the longest tenure in Oakland's history.
  From his council seat, he earned a reputation as an even-handed 
leader who worked diligently to improve cultural awareness, enhance 
Oakland's economy, expand its port facilities, and establish relations 
between Oakland and other countries, especially Japan. In fact, Frank 
Ogawa was largely responsible for establishing a sister city 
relationship between Oakland and Fukuoka, Japan.
  Mr. Speaker, Frank Ogawa was one of the finest individuals I have 
ever had the privilege to know and his passing is a great loss for his 
family, his community, and our Nation. I ask my colleagues to join me 
at this time in paying tribute to him, the life of purpose he led, and 
extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Grace and the family he loved 
so much.

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