Mineta and his family were among the 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry forced from their homes and into internment camps during World War II. While in Congress, Mineta was the driving force behind passage of HR 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988,
which officially apologized for and redressed the injustices endured by Japanese Americans during the War. In 1995, George Washington U. awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Medal to Mineta for his contributions to the field of civil rights.
Source: Dept. of Transportation web site, “Secretary Bio”
Feb 3, 2001
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