FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2022
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SAN JOSÉ, CA – Today, Mayor Sam Liccardo recognized the life and legacy of Norman Mineta, the first Asian-American Mayor of San José (1971 to 1975), and any major U.S. city. Mineta served as the only Democratic member of President George W. Bush’s Cabinet as Secretary of Transportation from 2001 to 2006, overseeing the aviation sector during and after 9/11. Mineta also served in President Bill Clinton’s Administration as Secretary of Commerce and in Congress representing San José for over two decades from 1975 to 1995, during which he founded and chaired the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Mayor Liccardo released the following statement:
“San José has lost a great champion, and I have lost a deeply admired mentor. Norm Mineta gave me my start in public service as an 18-year-old intern in his Washington congressional office. Like so many of those fortunate to have worked with Norm, I learned enormously from his calm leadership style, his deadpan humor, and his sincere love for public service.
Norm’s legacy is one steadfast defense of our civil liberties, and defense of our nation in the perilous hours of 9/11. Whenever Norm was asked about his incredible career, which took him to our nation’s highest offices, he never forgot where he was from: “My favorite title,” he’d often tell people, “was always ‘Mr. Mayor.’” My heart goes out to Deni, David, Stuart, Robert, Mark, and the entire family.”
Born on November 12, 1931, in San José, Mineta and his family were interned by the United States government at the Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming under Executive Order 9066 along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans residing throughout the West Coast. Following the end of World War II and the end of internment, Mineta went on to study business administration at the University of California, Berkeley in 1953 and served in the United States Army as an intelligence officer in Japan and Korea. In 2000, President Clinton nominated Mineta to serve as United States Secretary of Commerce - the first such role for an Asian American in a presidential Cabinet in the nation’s history.
Secretary Mineta is survived by his wife Danealia “Deni” Brantner, his four children, and eleven grandchildren.
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About the City of San José
With more than one million residents, San José comprises the 10th largest city in the United States, and one of its most diverse cities. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center in the heart of Silicon Valley has resulted in the world's greatest concentration of technology talent and development.
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