May 3, 2022
RE: Joint statement from Vida Lin, President and Founder, Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) and Duy Nguyen, Executive Director, One APIA Nevada, on the Passing of Former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta
Today the nation and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) lost a friend, an advocate, and a pillar of the community. Former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta was a trailblazer and giant, mentoring many community leaders to fight for seats at the table and uplifting their voices to make sure they were heard. Secretary Mineta’s story is the story of the American Dream—of what could be possible, of what could come of hard work and determination, and of what could be done by caring for each other and fighting for the betterment of not only one’s own community, but others as well.
“I don’t look at us as a melting pot. I think of us as made up of yarns. Yarns of different color, each strong on their own. They represent the art, culture, religion of where our forbearers came from. When they are knitted together, it makes for a strong whole. That tapestry of yarn, sown and woven together makes us a strong whole. That’s what this country is all about.” – Sec. Norman Mineta in 2019
Secretary Mineta’s sentiments of what makes our country strong can be applied to our community as well—the AANHPI community in Nevada is not a monolith—it is made up of many languages, backgrounds, cultures, and generations. Secretary Mineta inspired all of us to engage on a level that has empowered our diverse community to thrive. His belief in the American Tapestry has been a cornerstone of our everyday work in uplifting the community and in being better allies and advocates.
Our prayers are with the Mineta family. May his legacy and unwavering leadership continue to be carried on in our daily work to strive for better representation, justice and equity for all.
Learn more about Sec. Mineta’s legacy here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rgeqE6lS4k
ABOUT THE ASIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL:
The Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) is a nonprofit and non-partisan organization dedicated to building, connecting, and educating the Asian American Pacific Islander community in Nevada. ACDC was officially chartered in 2015. The mission of ACDC is to improve the general well-being and education of the Asian American Pacific Island and other ethnic communities in Nevada. Among the services ACDC offers includes: voter education, health insurance enrollment assistance, citizenship application assistance, vaccination clinics (Influenza and COVID-19), food distribution, College Readiness Bootcamp, and GraduAsian.