Washington D.C. – On Tuesday, May 3, Norman Mineta, former mayor of San Jose, 10-term congressman, Cabinet Secretary, and one of the country’s highest-profile Asian American political leaders, passed away in his Maryland home at the age of ninety due to a heart ailment.
Secretary Mineta was credited with passing hundreds of bills for transportation improvements, economic and environmental developments, and science, technology, and civil rights advancements. Additionally, Mr. Mineta played a significant role during the 9/11 terrorist attacks when he was Secretary of Transportation by ordering the landing of over 4,500 civilian air crafts in U.S. Airspace. Secretary Mineta was praised for keeping a cool head during an unprecedented crisis.
During World War II, Norman Mineta’s experience as an internee in a Japanese Internment camp shaped his political career as he became a trailblazer, a political powerhouse, and a staunch AAPI advocate. During the aftermath of 9/11, Secretary Mineta pressed to reduce racial profiling of Sikh and Muslim Americans and was honored by SALDEF at the 2011 SALDEF National Gala for his support and advocacy on behalf of the Sikh American community.
SALDEF, along with the entire Sikh American and AAPI community, mourns his loss and keeps his memory alive by channeling his dedication to civil and human rights.