Washington, DC - The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), a national coalition of nonprofit Asian Pacific American (APA) groups, congratulates the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta on being nominated by President-elect Bush to serve as Secretary of Transportation. Currently Secretary of Commerce, Mr. Mineta was nominated by President Clinton in July, becoming the first APA to ever serve in a president's cabinet.

"NCAPA applauds President-Elect Bush for becoming the second president ever to appoint an APA to his cabinet," remarked Daphne Kwok, Chair of NCAPA and Executive Director of the Organization of Chinese Americans. "Secretary Mineta is extremely qualified for the position, having chaired the House Public Works and Transportation Committee when he was in Congress. After such a divisive election, Secretary Mineta's nomination is a move toward unity."

"We are excited to see an exemplary leader like Norman Mineta nominated to tackle America's most pressing public policy issues," declared J.D. Hokoyama, Vice Chair of NCAPA, and President and CEO of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics. "Mineta's passion for civil rights and life-long commitment to service continues to be a model for effective Asian Pacific American leadership."

"Norman Mineta has an outstanding record of public service as a member of Congress and an advocate for the Asian Pacific American community," said Karen Narasaki, Treasurer of NCAPA and Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium. "His nomination as Secretary of Transportation is well deserved."

"By offering Secretary Mineta a place among his inner most circle of advisors, President-Elect Bush has demonstrated his willingness to seek bipartisanship, which will be good for our nation," said Charles J. Kim, Executive Director of the Korean American Coalition. "More importantly, he has demonstrated the importance of having Americans of all backgrounds participate in our government."

"We congratulate President-Elect Bush on naming an outstanding American of superb qualifications," remarked Clayton Fong, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging. "We are pleased that this cabinet is the most diverse in history."

"We applaud President Elect-Bush for his leadership in nominating one of the finest Asian Pacific American political pioneers to his cabinet," declared KaYing Yang, Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center. "President-Elect Bush is demonstrating his support for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community by setting this precedent and we urge him to continue to add more AAPIs to his administration."

"Secretary Mineta's long record of excellent public service to this country is a source of pride for all Americans," stated Joe Montano, Executive Director of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations. "He is highly respected by Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike. With his appointment, he brings to this job rich insights and perspectives as an American of Asian ancestry, thus enhancing diversity not only in the Department of Transportation but in the Bush administration as a whole."

"APALA supported Norman Mineta as Secretary of Commerce when he became the first Asian Pacific American to serve in a President's Cabinet last year," stated Guy T. Fujimura, National President of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO. "We will once again support his nomination as Secretary of Transportation, an area in which he is renowned for his experience, expertise, and leadership."