The U.S. CULCON Panel mourns the loss of Norman Mineta, the first Japanese American Cabinet Member, who passed away recently at age 90. Secretary Mineta was interned during World War II and then built a career in public service, including twenty years in the House of Representatives and later in the cabinets of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Secretary Mineta co-chaired the CULCON Education Task Force, which issued a ground-breaking report on U.S.-Japan student mobility in 2013. Secretary Mineta was an extraordinary leader in the U.S.-Japan community, advocating for strengthened U.S.-Japan relations, especially through people-to-people and student exchange. His distinguished career and tireless efforts building U.S.-Japan bonds are in good measure responsible for the strong partnership the two countries enjoy today.

For more information about his career, please see: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/us/politics/norman-y-mineta-who-served-two-presidents-in-cabinet-dies-at-90.html