Statement by the Vice President on the Death of Norman Mineta

A son of California, Norm Mineta worked tirelessly to make America stronger, safer, and more just. Decades after experiencing the injustice of internment, he devoted his career to public service, serving in the U.S. Army and fighting for civil liberties for all.

As the Mayor of San Jose, CA, Secretary Mineta saw the powerful role that infrastructure played in connecting individuals to economic opportunity and fought to get his community the resources they needed. This was a fight that he relentlessly continued through ten terms in Congress and as a Cabinet Secretary.

Secretary Mineta laid the foundation for Asian-American leaders across the nation and helped lead our nation through some of its most trying times. His leadership included the co-founding of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, of which I was proud to be a member.

I will cherish our conversations over the years. We all owe Secretary Mineta a debt of gratitude for his legacy of fighting to make this country live up to its promise.

The Second Gentlemen and I are holding Secretary Mineta's wife Danealia, and his entire family in our hearts.