[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 80 (Wednesday, May 11, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4850-H4854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 2021, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?

[[Page H4851]]

  There was no objection.
  Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Today, I rise in honor of Norman Y. Mineta, an Asian-American 
pioneer, political giant, and my dear friend. Norm was a trailblazing 
leader, often referred to as the godfather of the Asian-American and 
Pacific Islander community.
  Norm passed away last Tuesday, May 3, at the age of 90, and our 
communities are mourning this immense loss.
  I owe Norm so much. You see, he was the founder of the Congressional 
Asian Pacific American Caucus over 20 years ago, which I have the 
privilege to chair right now.
  Without Norm founding CAPAC, we would also not have our sister 
organization, the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional 
Studies, which provides internships and fellowships to cultivate our 
next generation of AAPI leaders in public service. We would not have so 
much of the critical infrastructure that organizes and holds our 
community together today.
  Norm's story is so inspirational. It is a story of sacrifice and 
hardship, but also of perseverance and triumph in the face of great 
adversity.
  He was born to immigrant parents from Japan who came to America for a 
better life. But during World War II, when Norm was only 10 years old, 
he and his family were rounded up, forced out of their home, and sent 
to a Japanese-American internment camp after President Roosevelt signed 
Executive Order No. 9066.
  Due to the war hysteria, racial prejudice, and failure of political 
leadership at the time, about 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry 
were stripped of their basic civil rights and incarcerated in desolate 
camps.
  To this day, the incarceration of Japanese Americans remains one of 
the most shameful chapters in our Nation's history.

                              {time}  1945

  Despite the harrowing experience he faced, Norm never lost faith in 
America. Instead, he decided to join the Army after graduating from 
Berkeley and served as an intelligence offer in Japan and Korea. This 
strong draw toward public service never left him, and he began his 
political career in 1967, starting on the San Jose City Council before 
being elected mayor of San Jose. With this election, he made history by 
becoming the first Japanese American to serve as the mayor of a major 
U.S. city. From there, he ran for a congressional seat and became the 
first Japanese American from the continental U.S. to be elected to 
Congress, where he served for 21 years.
  In Congress, he spearheaded efforts to pass the Civil Liberties Act 
of 1988, which granted reparations to Japanese Americans incarcerated 
during World War II. He also cofounded the Congressional Asian Pacific 
American Caucus to ensure that AAPIs have a voice in Congress, and he 
served as the caucus' first chair. He made history again by becoming 
the first Asian American ever appointed to a presidential cabinet when 
President Bill Clinton selected him to be the Secretary of Commerce. He 
was then appointed by President George W. Bush to be Secretary of 
Transportation and played a critical role in overseeing the 
Department's response during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
  Norm was such an incredible inspiration to many, including myself. I 
remember meeting Norm when I was a lowly elected official in local 
government and he was a Congress Member. He was so kind, so gracious, 
and so encouraging. Then he climbed to higher positions as Cabinet 
secretary, not once, but twice, and I marveled that no matter how high 
the heights, he never stopped being kind, gracious, and encouraging.
  Then I was elected to Congress, and I got to interact with him even 
more. I loved hearing stories about his early days as an Asian American 
in Congress. He told me that there were so few Asian Americans, they 
could have fit into a phone booth. One day, he tried to get a meeting 
of the Asian American Members of Congress at the White House. They 
asked what group do you represent and refused to meet. That is when he 
got the idea of starting the Congressional Asian Pacific American 
Caucus. As an official caucus, he got that meeting with the White 
House.
  We owe a debt of gratitude for all he did to uplift and empower the 
AAPI community. Despite all he accomplished, he always prioritized 
opening doors for future AANHPI leaders. He showed us how much we could 
achieve and pulled us up with him. Norm especially valued mentoring 
young people, like students and interns, who were interested in 
advocating for our communities. There is no doubt that we are a 
stronger community and a stronger nation because of Norm's leadership.
  I am proud to be joined tonight by many of my colleagues who join me 
in honoring Norm during this Special Order.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), 
my friend and CAPAC's second vice chair.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Chu for her very 
personal memories of Norm Mineta. We knew Norm each in our own very 
special way, and he was a very warm and down-to-earth person, never 
really infected by Potomac fever. Perhaps it was because he never 
thought that someone like him might rise to be a President, but he was 
able to focus all of his energy and attention on being a Member of 
Congress.
  I know he loved this institution. He served here for 20 years, 20 
extraordinary years, where he rose to become chairman of the House 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
  He was a Japanese-American pioneer and a great public servant, and he 
left us earlier this week.
  I first met Norman Mineta at a leadership development and candidate 
training conference in Los Angeles in the 1980s. I am getting old 
enough now where the 1980s and 1990s all kind of blend together, and it 
is hard for me to say which year of the 1980s it was, but I think it 
was the 1980s. I remember it was an organization called LEAP, 
Leadership Education for Asian Pacific Americans. They held this 
leadership training conference, training potential candidates for 
office. Norm showed up at the office as a Member of Congress, and he 
just gave of his time because he believed in mentoring people.
  He was very supportive of my very first run for Congress in 1992 and 
my second run in 1994. He did become a mentor of mine, and he gave up 
generous amounts of his time.
  I remember there was one time when I was hanging out in his office. I 
think it was 1992. I can't remember which run it was. But I realized 
that I was going to miss my flight, because he was just so relaxed and 
he just spent literally hours with me talking. I had to actually leave 
to catch my flight, and I had to get my luggage sent after me because I 
wasn't even able to get my luggage together. That was the kind of guy 
Norm was.
  But in 1994, his true character shone through when he called me at 
the end of a very long day that I had been through. Earlier in that day 
in 1994, I was outed on the front page and above the fold of my 
hometown newspaper as gay. By evening time--this is in the days before 
there was the internet--the newspaper article had been faxed to 
Washington, D.C., and made its rounds around here. He knew what was on 
my mind.
  He called me that night, and he told me that he had spoken to the 
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's chairman, Vic Fazio, and 
he had gotten Vic's assurance that the DCCC would not diminish its 
support of me. Norm had already been a few steps ahead of me. He 
anticipated the fear that I had about being abandoned, and he promised 
that he would remain steadfast behind me.
  By my third and ultimately successful run for the House of 
Representatives in 2012, Norm had yet to waver from that promise he 
made 18 years before. On January 3, 2013, when I entered the House 
Chamber for the very first time to take my oath of office, I was 
standing right over there to my right, in that section over there. I 
felt a tap on my shoulder and behind me was a voice that said: ``Mark, 
Norm Mineta.''

  How fortuitous could that have been, that this wonderful man, this 
wonderful Member of Congress, was the first person that I would 
actually have a conversation with in the Chamber. And former Members of 
Congress are allowed back in the Chamber, and that was a very special 
moment on my first

[[Page H4852]]

day of office to have that tap on my shoulder.
  There are many more stories I could tell about how he brought me to 
see Senator Dan Inouye before the election and made sure we had 
contact. It was my regret that Senator Inouye would pass away before I 
would take office.
  But Norm remained a friend and mentor all these years. He had a 
profound impact on my life and the lives of so many other people, many 
who are in elective offices today and many who aren't. He just believed 
in cultivating and bringing up so many other AAPIs. But it didn't 
matter if you were AAPI or not. He believed in cultivating younger 
people into opportunities.
  He personally encouraged countless AAPIs to get involved with 
politics. He would generously give of his time. He inspired so many 
Japanese Americans, especially niseis, to understand how imperative 
political participation was to defend civil liberties for all 
Americans. That was rooted in his own experience of what happened, and 
my colleague Judy Chu recounted some of those experiences.
  He played a key role in the effort to pass the Civil Liberties Act of 
1987, which formally apologized to Japanese Americans interned during 
World War II, compensated them $20,000 each, and established an 
education fund to teach Americans about this terrible chapter in 
history.
  He was an early supporter of LGBTQ equality, signing on to the very 
first version of ENDA, introduced by Bella Abzug. He used his moral 
stature to persuade the Japanese American Citizens League, in a meeting 
in 1994, in its convention in 1994, to be the first non-LGBTQ civil 
rights organization to embrace same-sex unions. That was very 
important, because the State of Hawaii, which has a sizeable Japanese-
American electorate, was the place where same-sex unions were being 
taken seriously for the very first time. So that endorsement was really 
important, and Norm played a key role in persuading those delegates to 
do the right thing.
  About the same time, Norm introduced me to one of his openly gay 
staffers, Chris Strobel. Because Chris became especially close to Norm 
and the Mineta family, I just want to mention his name now, because I 
have also learned that Chris has also sadly passed away. And I know 
from Norm's wife, Deni, that Chris' passing has profoundly deepened the 
sense of loss coming so soon to the Mineta household after Norm has 
left us.
  As Transportation Secretary during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Norm 
not only gave the orders to ground all commercial flights, but he is 
also credited by President George W. Bush for being a voice of 
restraint against any reprisals against Muslim Americans in cabinet-
level meetings.
  President Bush was quoted as saying: ``One of the important things 
about Norm's experience'' . . . in internment . . . ``is that sometimes 
we lose our souls as a Nation. The notion of `all equal under God' 
sometimes disappears. And 9/11 certainly challenged that premise.  . . 
. In some ways, Norm's example inspired me. In other words, I didn't 
want our country to do to others what had happened to Norm.''
  Norm Mineta channeled his own personal history into making America a 
better country. His public service career has left an important and 
enduring legacy on our Nation.
  He will be missed, but his contributions to our country will not soon 
be forgotten.
  May he rest in peace.
  Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I thank Congress Member Takano for sharing 
those wonderful memories.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Matsui), my friend and fellow Californian.
  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of my dear friend, 
Norm Mineta, who I feel like I have known almost forever.
  Just a little fact of history. I remember meeting him first when my 
late husband, Bob Matsui, decided to run for Congress. Norm was 
obviously the first one on the phone to Bob saying, go for it and the 
first one to write a check to him. You remember those things.
  He has been someone who has always encouraged people all the way and 
never forgetting. My colleagues here, especially Congressman Takano, 
mentioned how he was impacted by Norman Mineta.
  Norm's compassionate spirit, hard work on behalf of the people of San 
Jose and our Nation, and advocacy for the Japanese-American community 
were evident to all those who had the privilege of knowing him. He 
simply made America a better place, a more hopeful place.
  We know the immense impact he had across his career. His advocacy, 
passion, and legislative acumen, his leadership in both good times and 
bad.

                              {time}  2000

  Norm's life was full of trailblazing accomplishments and 
achievements. He was the first Asian-American mayor of San Jose--and he 
always talked about being mayor; he absolutely loved it--the founder of 
CAPAC, and the first Asian American to serve in a Presidential Cabinet. 
Yet for all those who knew him, it was his character, his generosity, 
and his tireless drive to speak out for the underrepresented that truly 
impacted everyone around him.
  We all know he was a gifted legislator and perceptive leader. He 
championed hundreds of pieces of legislation on everything from 
economic development to transportation to civil rights. He transformed 
our transportation sector and adeptly led us through some of the 
toughest times.
  He had a remarkable career, yet we all know his childhood was full of 
uncertainty. He was only 10 years old when he was incarcerated 
alongside tens of thousands of fellow Japanese Americans. He was a Boy 
Scout.
  Because of those painful memories, he became a fierce advocate for 
justice and civil rights. He became a champion of the Japanese-American 
community. Together with my late husband, Bob Matsui, and their 
colleagues, Senator Danny Inouye and Senator Sparky Matsunaga, they 
worked to pass the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, fighting tirelessly to 
educate Americans about the terrible prejudices and injustices that led 
to the Japanese-American incarceration during World War II.
  People from the Japanese-American community were at first reluctant 
to come forward to tell their stories because they had gone through 
this, and they had survived, and they are truly Americans going back to 
their communities. But with the telling of the stories which he so 
encouraged, the healing began in the community, which is so important.
  All of us take what is in us, what we have learned, and we forge our 
own path. We don't know where the journey will take us, but along the 
way we find what is best in ourselves.
  Norm Mineta truly exemplified that. He broke barriers. He excelled at 
every step of his career, yet he was always driven by the need to 
improve the lives of those he served. He made sure our priorities 
stayed in line, that our ambitions for change and justice came directly 
from the people we serve.
  He saw our country in all its potential and fought tirelessly to give 
others the opportunity to succeed as he did. He wanted everyone to 
succeed, from every walk and place in life.
  You see, Norm's story is an American story. It is a Japanese-American 
story, but it is everyone's story who is an American. He showed us that 
the American tapestry shines brightest when it includes all of us 
equally, that we can all lead with compassion and understanding. That 
ethos is sewn into the fabric of his legacy.
  We can continue to honor his memory by following his beacon of light 
and learning from the courage he carried and promoted in others. All of 
us can follow the example of Norman Mineta.
  At this difficult time for all of us, my prayers are especially with 
all of Norm's family and friends. I know they are hurting, as we are, 
but we recall the wonderful person he was and will carry with us his 
legacy. We will all truly miss him.
  Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Matsui for those 
wonderful words. There are others who wanted to be here but had 
conflicts, and they wanted me to read their statements.
  From Majority Leader Steny Hoyer: ``After I was elected to the House 
in 1981, Norm and I quickly began becoming friends. He was a colleague 
one could turn to for sage advice, for a good laugh, and for a 
reassuring word.

[[Page H4853]]

I will always remember his genial nature, his intellect, and his wit. 
And I will never forget the love he had for his native California and 
for the people who put their trust in him, again and again, to be their 
Representative in Congress.
  ``Norm believed in the power of our democratic institutions of 
government to safeguard our rights and make opportunities more readily 
available and accessible to Americans.
  ``The most fitting tribute I can think of is for us to cherish the 
critical role of the Congress as much as he did. And we ought to keep 
making the best use of our time here as we can, as he did, to serve our 
constituents and govern responsibly for their benefit.''
  And then there is a statement from Representative Barbara Lee. She 
says: ``I rise today with a heavy heart to honor and mourn former 
Secretary Norman Y. Mineta. My thoughts and sympathies are with his 
wife, Deni; his children, Stuart, David, Mark, and Bob; and his family 
and friends.
  ``He was a truly remarkable, trailblazing individual who became one 
of the most prominent Asian-American figures in our country. His legacy 
included many firsts, and his life was a source of inspiration, a 
testament to the American spirit of fighting for justice and equality.
  ``I met Norm when I was working for the late, beloved Congressman Ron 
Dellums. Norm was very kind to me, taught me a lot, listened to my 
ideas, and was a close friend of Ron's. In many ways, he was a mentor 
to me. Later, when I became a Member of Congress, he always sought me 
out to tell me how proud he was of me. Such support coming from this 
giant of a man always humbled me. I always told him how much he 
influenced my life, and I was deeply grateful for his friendship.
  ``His success did not come without sacrifice. When Secretary Mineta 
was 10 years old, our government forcibly removed him and his family 
from their home in San Jose to a World War II Japanese-American 
incarceration camp, the Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming. Decades later, 
he led the passage of the 1988 Civil Liberties Act, which granted 
reparations and a formal apology to Japanese Americans wrongfully 
incarcerated by our government solely on the basis of race due to 
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's issuance of Executive Order 9066.
  ``Having endured such blatant racism and discrimination against 
Japanese Americans, he understood the importance of fighting for people 
who never had a voice in our political process. Throughout his career, 
he was the first Asian-American mayor of San Jose, the first Japanese-
American Member of Congress from the lower 48 States, and the first 
Asian-American Cabinet member, serving as both the Secretary of 
Commerce for President Clinton and Secretary of Transportation for 
President Bush. In 2006 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom 
for his achievements.

  ``During his time in Congress, Secretary Mineta cofounded the 
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and its sister 
organization, the Asian Pacific American Institute of Congressional 
Studies, to advocate for issues concerning the AAPI community. It is 
because of his efforts that the Asian-American and Pacific Islander 
community has a greater voice in this Chamber.
  ``My prayers are with his family, friends, and the AAPI community. We 
have all lost an icon. Madam Speaker, I urge the entire House to 
continue to honor Secretary Mineta's legacy through our commitment to 
justice and equality for all.''
  And, finally, we have a statement from our CAPAC whip, Congressman 
Ted Lieu. He says: ``Former Secretary Norman Mineta was a trailblazer 
in our community. He committed his life to public service, serving as a 
mayor, a 10-term Congressman, and Cabinet Secretary in two 
administrations.
  ``During his time in the House of Representatives, he cofounded the 
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and led efforts to secure 
an official apology and compensation for Japanese Americans who were 
wrongfully interned during World War II.
  ``As Secretary of Transportation, he created the Transportation 
Security Administration in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. 
Incarcerated during World War II just because of his race, Secretary 
Mineta knew what it was like to face injustice and discrimination 
firsthand and how important it was to defend the civil liberties of all 
Americans. His commitment to public service and dedication to American 
ideals made him a true patriot.
  ``Norman Mineta showed us all what it meant to be a public servant, 
and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of AANHPI 
leaders. I am grateful for the work he did for our communities and join 
my colleagues in mourning his passing.''
  As this Special Order comes to a close, I thank my colleagues for 
joining me today in honoring Norm Mineta, a truly remarkable community 
leader, passionate advocate for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and 
Pacific Islander communities, and a genuine, kind man. His legacy of 
public service will certainly not be forgotten.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairwoman Chu and Members 
of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus for hosting this 
tribute tonight for our friend and former colleague Norman Mineta.
  I had the honor of serving alongside Norm for fourteen years in this 
House. I had the opportunity to watch him in action as a legislator, 
working hard every day to deliver for the people of San Jose--a 
continuation of his service to them as mayor. The thing that stood out 
to me about Norm was how much faith he had in our democratic 
institutions to deliver a better life for the people they served. He 
had that faith even after those institutions failed him as a child.
  When Norm was eleven years old, he was detained along with his 
parents and four siblings at the Heart Mountain internment camp in 
Cody, Wyoming--more than 800 miles from his native San Jose, 
California. They had committed no crime. Norm and his siblings were 
natural-born citizens, not foreigners. They were detained because of 
their race. And our government and courts allowed that detention. The 
more-than three years the Mineta family spent at Heart Mountain--along 
with nearly 14,000 other Japanese-Americans held there during the 
Second World War--did not diminish the pride Norm had in America and 
his unwavering belief that our democracy would ultimately do right and 
do good, even if it stumbled along the way.
  That's why he joined the U.S. army after he graduated from the 
University of California, Berkeley. He wanted to wear the flag of our 
country on his uniform and defend the Constitution--the same flag he 
had seen on those who kept him and his family in detention during the 
war in an act of ignoring our Constitution. It's what Norm did when he 
ran for Mayor of San Jose at a time when no large city in America had 
ever been led by a Japanese-American before. And it's what he did when, 
after a successful mayoral term, he ran for Congress in 1974 and won.
  An avid institutionalist throughout his time in government, Norm saw 
his work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee through 
this same lens, working hard to ensure that the Committee--and the 
House--was delivering results for communities that helped them grow and 
their people access opportunities. As Secretary of Commerce and 
Secretary of Transportation, serving under presidents from different 
parties, he brought this same commitment to making sure government 
works for the people.
  He never forgot the experiences that shaped him in his youth. He 
joined forces with Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming to enact legislation in 
1988 apologizing for Japanese-American internment and providing 
restitution to detainees. In 1994, he founded the Congressional Asian 
Pacific American Caucus and served as its inaugural Chair. And he was 
very proud to be the first Asian-American member of a president's 
cabinet.
  Atler I was elected to the House in 1981, Norm and I quickly became 
friends. He was a colleague one could turn to for sage advice, for a 
good laugh, and for a reassuring word. I will always remember his 
genial nature, his intellect, and his wit. And I will never forget the 
love he had for his native California and for the people who put their 
trust in him, again and again, to be their Representative in Congress.
  Norm believed in the power of our democratic institutions of 
government to safeguard our rights and make opportunities more readily 
available and accessible to Americans. The most fitting tribute I can 
think of is for us to cherish the critical role of the Congress as much 
as he did. And we ought to keep making the best use of our time here as 
we can--as he did--to serve our constituents and govern responsibly for 
their benefit.
  I join in offering my condolences to his wife Danielle, to his 
children, to his grandchildren, and to the extended Mineta family. May 
his memory guide and inspire us for many years to come. Godspeed, my 
friend.

[[Page H4854]]

  

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