Asians Break within Ranks of Federal Government:
The significance of increasing Asian representation to the local communities
by Pauline T. Nguyen, Staff Writer

Two new Asian faces have recently emerged in the national political arena. President George W. Bush has appointed Elaine Chao and Norman Yoshio Mineta to the positions of Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Transportation, respectively. Before the Asian community becomes too enthused with the belief that Asian issues will be recognized however, they must look at the situation beyond these precedent-setting positions.

Now the highest-ranking Asian female in government, Elaine Chao is a former deputy transportation secretary and has gained recognition for directing the United Way from its financial management scandal. A Fellow at the conservative think-tank Heritage Foundation, her areas of expertise are women's issues, civil society, and Asia. Chao's main purpose seems to be garnering the trust of the labor unions, a group that is predominantly Democratic. Even the fanfare surrounding her nomination has lost its luster because she was not the president's first choice. Rather, she was appointed two days after Linda Chavez withdrew, amidst the scandal surrounding the illegal immigrant working in her home. Norman Yoshio Mineta has been a Representative for California for the last twenty years. When he was 10-years-old, his family was relocated to a Japanese internment camp in Wyoming. Despite that event in his life, he still maintains his belief in the federal government.

Although both Chao and Mineta have high approval ratings for job performance, the question that needs to be asked is what have they done? Just as Bush's first 100 days have yielded little excitement, the opinions and proposals of Chao and Mineta have not been publicized. Before the Asian community rejoices over these nominations, they must ask whether these individuals are capable of proposing issues that directly target the Asian community. As Secretary of Transportation, should we expect Mineta to instate a law declaring that Toyotas would be the official vehicle for the trucking industry? As Secretary of Labor, should we expect that Chao make sure only Asians are fairly compensated for their labor? Just as the questions are ridiculous, it is absurd to think that these individuals, who are representing the entire nation, would only push the Asian agenda. In comments regarding her appointment, Chao stressed that her identification as an Asian-American woman would not interfere with her job obligations. She remarked on CNN News that she hopes to uphold Bush's vision of "an America with a strong and productive workforce in which everyone can participate, where jobs and opportunities are available for those leaving welfare, where job training is available for those left behind…that a disability never bars a qualified person from a workplace and that parents have an easier time balancing the responsibilities of home and work." She promises to uphold everybody's labor rights, including those of Asians. Although there is much hope in this general promise, it avoids a crucial labor issue-immigration. Immigration is a major concern for Asians. However, Chao has not been vocal on her stance or her intentions regarding this issue. As a conservative, it would be reasonable to speculate that she would keep to Bush's standpoint. Other major issues for Asians are ceiling quotas in admitting Asian students into college universities, restoring government benefits for legal immigrants, and legislation for hate crimes. All these issues are not within Chao or Mineta's jurisdiction, which makes the Asian community wonder who is exactly responsible for handling these issues. In general, two of the most important concerns for Asians are the issues of voting rights and ballots in different languages. Detailed accounts of campaigns and elections proceedings in newspapers of various languages allow the Asian community to remain informed on the candidates, yet this breath of useful political knowledge proves worthless if the candidates' names cannot be read from the ballot.

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