Neil Abercrombie

First elected to represent Hawaii's First District (Honolulu and Leeward suburbs) in Congress in 1986, he is Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces, with critical oversight responsibilities for U.S. Army and Air Force operations, budget, and equipment and weapons systems procurement. He also serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Armed Services Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee, and the House Natural Resources Committee and its Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee.

	Daniel K. Akaka

He was re-elected in both 1994 and 2000 by wide margins. In the Senate, he serves on the Armed Services, Energy and Natural Resources, Governmental Affairs (GAC), Veterans' Affairs, and Indian Affairs committees. He is a leader in renewable energy research and development; park and wildlife issues; tropical agriculture and coral reef conservation; ocean sciences and technology; aquaculture research; and marine protection and environmental preservation.

As Chair of the GAC International Security, Proliferation, and Federal Services Subcommittee, he has taken a leading role in a number of critical national security areas and is a champion for the interests of Federal employees and retirees. In the Pacific region, he has closely monitored the safety and security of shipments of radioactive mixed plutonium-uranium, oxide (MOX) fuel from Europe to Japan for nuclear power purposes. He is also known as an advocate for veterans, working to improve services and increase employment and housing opportunities for the men and women who have served in our nation's Armed Services, and as a champion of the rights of indigenous peoples.

	Kumar Barve

Aside from serving as Majority Leader of the Maryland House, Delegate Barve chairs the Science and Technology Sub-Committee of the House Committee on Economic Matters. Among his legislative accomplishments are introduction of the Patient Access Act (the first bill in the nation to regulate HMOs) and sponsorship of the Maryland law that banned insurance companies from using pre-existing conditions to deny coverage.

Del. Barve's grandfather, Shankar L. Gokhale, immigrated to the United States from India in 1911. Barve's mother, Neera, was born in Schenectady, New York. His father, Prabhakar Barve, came to the U.S. in 1957 after studying architecture in England.

	Xavier Becerra

Rep. Becerra is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) where he served as Chair during the 105th Congress (1997-98). The Congressman is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. At the international level, he serves as Vice Chair of the U.S.-Korea Interparliamentary Exchange, and is Co-Chair of the Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus.

Rep. Becerra is the son of working-class immigrants and was the first in his family to graduate from college. In 1980, Rep. Becerra earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stanford University. He was awarded his Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School in 1984.

	Madeleine Bordallo

Congresswoman Bordallo is a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, and serves as the Chairwoman of Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans. She also has a seat on the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, which has jurisdiction over issues affecting the insular areas. Congresswoman Bordallo is a member of the House Committee on Armed Services, and is a member of the Subcommittee on Readiness and the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces. In addition to her committee responsibilities, Congresswoman Bordallo serves as Secretary of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and also serves as the Chair of the Healthcare Task Force for CAPAC.

Madeleine Bordallo, who is a resident of Tamuning, Guam, was born in Minnesota. She graduated from George Washington High School in Mangilao, Guam, in 1951, and attended St. Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana, and St. Catherine's College in St. Paul, Minnesota, graduating in 1953 with a degree in music.

	Satveer Chaudhary

Mr. Chaudhary has devoted most of his legislative career to issues of education, judicial matters, and civil and family law. Graduating from St. Olaf College with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, Satveer Chaudhary went on to receive a law degree at the University of Minnesota Law School. In his role as a public servant, Mr. Chaudhary has become a leader and a pioneer for the Midwestern Indian American community.

	John Chiang

With a degree in Finance from the University of South Florida and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, John arrived in Los Angeles in 1987 and began work as a tax law specialist for the IRS. He also has served as an attorney and staff member to many high-ranking California officials, including Senator Barbara Boxer.

Among the current and former non-profit groups he has served are the Children's Law Center, the Ethnic Coalition (an organization dedicated to building harmonious race relations), Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, and the Organization of Chinese Americans.

	Judy Chu

Prior to this, Dr. Chu was an Assembly Member of the 49th Assembly District in the west San Gabriel Valley from 2001 to 2006. She chaired the State Assembly Appropriations Committee, which oversees all legislation that had a fiscal impact on the state. She served as a member of Speaker Nunez' executive leadership team.

Prior to the State Assembly, Dr. Chu served on the Monterey Park City Council for thirteen years from 1988 to 2001, and served as Mayor three times. Dr. Chu has been dedicated to education for decades, and was a community college professor in psychology for 20 years. She started in public service as a board member of the Garvey School District from 1985 to 1988. She has a Ph.D. in psychology and a B.A. in math.

	Swati Dandekar

In 2002, Rep. Swati Dandekar made history when she became the first Asian American to be elected to a state position in Iowa. A dedicated public servant, Swati has always looked out for the residents of her district. She has served on the Appropriations, Economic Growth, and International Relations committees, and convinced her peers to create Iowa's first Asian American commission, funded through an unique public-private partnership.

Swati has been an active member of her community for thirty years. She has served on the board of the Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation and the Junior League of Cedar Rapids, as well as the local and state boards of education. She has won many awards for her work, including the local Linn-Mar Foundation Wall of Fame, Asian Alliance of Iowa "Person of the Year," and India Abroad "Person of the Year" Award.

	Eni Faleomavaega

Aside from serving as Vice Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Rep. Faleomavaega is Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment. He also serves on the Committee on Natural Resources and is a member of the Native American Caucus.

	Warren Furutani

Furutani has 35 years of experience and involvement in education and public service, both as an elected official and a community leader. As a three-term member of the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees, he was elected President of the Board in July 2002 and served as First Vice President in 2001. He is also the only person to have been elected and reelected to this board and to the Los Angeles Unified School District Board (LAUSD).

A fourth generation Californian born in San Pedro, Furutani attended Los Angeles public schools, graduated from Gardena High School, and attended several local community colleges before getting his B.A. at Antioch College. Aside from his many charitable and public service activities on the local level, Mr. Furutani is a respected leader on the state level as well. He worked as a senior consultant to the Speaker of the California Assembly, the Honorable Fabian Nuñez, and served in that capacity for the last three Speakers as well.

	Jay Goyal

Goyal sits on the Board of Directors for the Rehabilitation Center of North Central Ohio, Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio, and the University and College Access Network. He serves on the United Way's Allocations and Community Relations Committees, the Richland County Citizens' Vision Board, and Progress Industries Business Advisory Board. He is also active with the Mansfield Indian Association, the Ohio Marwari Association and the Mansfield-Richland Chamber of Commerce.

	Al Green

Born in New Orleans, Rep. Green went on to attend Tuskegee Institute of Technology. In 1974, he earned his law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University, where he later served as an instructor. After graduating from law school, Green opened his own law practice and also served as a Justice of the Peace for 26 years.

For nearly ten years, Green served as president of the Houston Branch of the NAACP. Under his leadership, the organization grew to unprecedented heights, increasing membership from 500 to 3,500 and the staff from one to twenty.

	Mazie Hirono

Educated in public schools in Hawaii, she graduated with honors from Kaimuki High School and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.

She served as a Deputy Attorney General in the Antitrust Division and later practiced law in the private sector with the firm of Shim, Tam, Kirimitsu, Kitamura and Chang. Prior to her election as Lt. Governor, Hirono served for 14 years in the Hawaii State Legislature and earned a reputation as a dedicated consumer advocate and outspoken member and a founder of the House Women's Caucus. Over 120 of her bills became law, making her one of the most effective members of the Legislature during her 7 terms.

	Mike Honda

Mike was born in California, but spent his early childhood with his family in an internment camp in Colorado during World War II. His family returned to California in 1953, becoming strawberry sharecroppers in San Jose. In 1965, Mike interrupted his college studies to answer President John F. Kennedy's call for volunteer service. He served in the Peace Corps for two years in El Salvador, returning with a passion for teaching and fluent in Spanish.

Mike earned Bachelor's degrees in Biological Sciences and Spanish, and a Master's degree in Education from San José State University. He has worked as a science teacher, principal at two public schools, education researcher at Stanford University, and member of the California State Assembly (1996 to 2000).

	Daniel K. Inouye

Sen. Inouye, with his forty years of seniority in the Senate, chairs the Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee and is a member of the Appropriations, Indian Affairs, and Rules & Administration Committees. He has served on the Senate committees investigating Watergate, the Iran-Contra scandal, and other issues of national importance, while also focusing on environmental, Native Hawaiian, veteran's affairs and other issues important to the people of Hawaii.

	Susan Lee

Prior to her service in the Assembly, Del. Lee served as a Member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, as well as founder and Chair of the Coalition of Asian Pacific American Democrats of Maryland, the state's first and largest Asian Pacific American Democratic organization.

She has received awards from MADD and Progressive Maryland. Endorsers during her campaigns have included the Washington Post, Maryland State Teachers Association, Montgomery County Education Association, Harriet's List, Maryland NARAL, Sierra Club, Action Committee on Transit, and Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO.

	Ted Lieu

Prior his election to the State Assembly, Lieu served on the Torrance City Council, as well as the City's Environmental Quality & Energy Conservation Commission. As both councilmember and commissioner, he worked tirelessly on issues that he continues as an Assemblymember — education, public safety, the environment and transportation.

Dedicated to his country, Lieu currently holds the rank of Major in the United States Air Force Reserves. He served on active duty for four years as a member of the JAG Corps. He graduated from Stanford University in 1991 with a B.S. in computer science and a B.A. in political science. In 1994, he graduated from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review.

	Gary Locke

Born into an immigrant family on Jan. 21, 1950, Gary spent his first six years in Seattle's Yesler Terrace, a public housing project for families of World War II veterans. Gary worked in his father's grocery store, became an Eagle Scout, and graduated with honors from Seattle's Franklin High School in 1968. Then, through a combination of part-time jobs, financial aid and scholarships, Gary attended Yale University, where he received his bachelor's degree in political science in 1972. After earning a law degree from Boston University in 1975, he worked for several years as a deputy prosecutor in King County.

In 1982, he was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives. He was elected chief executive of King County in 1993 and took on all of the challenges facing Washington's most complex urban area. After leaving office as governor, he remained in Seattle as a partner in an international law firm.

	Doris Matsui

Prior to her election to Congress, Rep. Matsui served on President Bill Clinton's 1992 transition team and as Deputy Assistant to the President in the White House Office of Public Liaison. As an accomplished civic leader, she was appointed by the Speaker to serve on the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents. Prior to her service as a Mewmber of Congress, she served as President and Board Chair of KVIE, Sacramento's public television station, and participated in numerous civic and philanthropic organizations, including the Crocker Art Museum, the Sacramento Children's Home and the Junior League of Sacramento.

Congresswoman Matsui grew up in Dinuba, in California's Central Valley. She received a Bachelor's Degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where she met her husband, the late Congressman Bob Matsui. The two were married 38 years prior to his death on January 1st, 2005.

	Norman Mineta

He was appointed to a position on the San Jose Human Relations Commission, and went on to serve as city councilman, vice mayor, and then mayor of San Jose. He was elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-fourth Congress and to the ten succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1975-October 10, 1995). When he resigned on October 10, 1995, he was chairman of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation. He went on to serve as Secretary of Commerce in the Cabinet of President Bill Clinton (2000-2001) and then Secretary of Transportation in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush (2001-2006).

Norm has been one of the strongest supporters of Asian Pacific American community empowerment over the many decades. He co-sponsored the bill that established Asian Pacific American Heritage Week, helped to found many key community organizations, was a prime backer of Japanese American redress legislation, and has served as a board member or key supporter of many community organizations (including the AAA-Fund). He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the international public relations firm Hill & Knowlton.

	Mee Moua

Sen. Moua attended Brown University, the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs and the University of Minnesota Law school, receiving MPA and law degrees. She settled in St. Paul with her family in 1988.

As a state senator representing District 67, Sen. Moua is Chair of the powerful Judiciary Committee and serves as a member of the Finance, Transportation and Taxes committees.

	Bobby Scott

Robert Cortez "Bobby" Scott is a Virginia Democrat currently representing the state's 3rd Congressional district. The district takes in most of Richmond, along with parts of Norfolk, Hampton and Scott's home in Newport News. He currently serves on the House Budget Committee, the Committee on Education and Labor, as well as the House Committee on the Judiciary, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Rep. Scott was born in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Harvard University and Boston College Law School. He was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1977 and the Virginia Senate in 1982. In 1992, he was elected to the Congress in Virginia's 3rd District, which was created after the Department of Justice directed the Virginia legislature to draw a black-majority district after the 1990 census. He is the first African American Representative from Virginia since Reconstruction, and has been reelected five times with no substantive opposition. Also, having a maternal grandfather of Filipino ancestry gives Rep. Scott the distinction of being the first American with Filipino heritage to serve in the United States Congress.

	Robert Underwood

Acknowledged as Guam's third most powerful and influential person by Latte magazine in February 2000, the Congressman was characterized as "an intelligent man with a gift for public speaking" who is a "tireless promoter of Guam's right to self-determination."

Following an impressive career as an educator, beginning as a high school teacher in 1972 and culminating with the academic vice presidency of Guam's university, Representative Underwood was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992. Virtually unopposed, he easily won reelection in 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000. In 2002, he entered private life and has worked as a consultant and speaker on issues related to Guam and Asian Pacific Americans.

	Kris Valderrama

A proud product of the Prince George's County public school system, where she graduated from Oxon Hill Senior High School, Delegate Valderrama earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Respiratory Therapy from Salisbury State University, in Salisbury, Maryland. Following her career in the health care field, she worked for the 1.4 million member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO in their Public Affairs Department's Strategic Communications Unit, working on such issues as child care, home care and health care organizing.

Kris can be seen weekly on Valderrama's America on Comcast channel 80 in Maryland and Comcast channel 77 in Washington, DC, co-hosting, reporting and interviewing politicians and community leaders on issues of interest to Prince George's County.

	Hubert Vo

Rep. Vo, a successful businessman, has been a member of the Alief community for over 20 years. He is a council member of Alief Super Neighborhood, Alief YMCA Board, a member of the Houston Association of Realtors, Houston Association of Builders, Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, Houston Apartment Association, Harris County Democrats, West Houston Democrats, Braeswood Democrats and Tejano Democrats.

Rep. Vo attended the University of Houston during the day and worked at Hughes Tool Company as a steel worker at night. In 1983, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He went on to open a computer business and establish several commercial real estate ventures. As a legislator, he has served on both the Border & International Affairs and Business & Industry Committees, and was honored for his relief efforts on behalf of displaced Hurricane Katrina victims.

	David Wu

Representative Wu is living proof that the American dream still thrives today. He was born in Taiwan on April 8, 1955. In October of 1961, David and his family moved to the United States from Taiwan after President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order updating unfair immigration quotas. He was educated in public schools, earned a Bachelor of Science from Stanford University, attended Harvard Medical School, and received a law degree from Yale University.

In a recent term as Chairperson of CAPAC, Rep. Wu significantly expanded the caucus' membership, ensuring that more members of Congress are aware of the APA community's needs. He also worked to get the APA community more involved in the electoral process, through increased voter turnout and by helping APAs who are seeking elective office.

Yeni Wong
Chair and
Co-founder

Hady Amr
Board Member

Marybelle Ang
Board Member

Irene Bueno
Treasurer and
Former E.D.

Junelle Cavero
Board Member

Gloria Caoile
Board Member

Gautam Dutta
Exec. Dir.

Melissa Hampe
Deputy E.D.

Dian Herrman
Board Member

Bel Leong-Hong
Chair-Elect

Paul Igasaki
Board Member

Howard Moon
Board Member

David Namura
Board Member

Richard Chang
Adv. Board Member

Toby Chaudhuri
Adv. Board Member

Kahan S. Dhillon, Jr.
Adv. Board Member

Jocelyn Hong
Adv. Board Member

Mark Keam
Adv. Board Member

Nasim G. Memon
Adv. Board Member

Erika Moritsugu
Adv. Board Member

Senator
Daniel K. Akaka
Hawaii

State Delegate
Kumar Barve
Maryland

Senator
Ben Cardin
Maryland

State Controller
John Chiang
California

State Representative
Swati Dandekar
Iowa

State Rep.
Jay Goyal
Ohio

Representative
Mazie Hirono
Hawai'i

Representative
Mike Honda
California

State Rep.
Susan Lee
Maryland

State Rep.
Ted Lieu
California

State Sen.
Mee Moua
Minnesota

Representative
Joe Sestak
Pennsylvania

State Rep.
Cy Thao
Minnesota

State Rep.
William Tong
Connecticut

State Rep.
Kris Valderrama
Maryland

State Rep.
Hubert Vo
Texas

Senator
Jim Webb
Virginia

Representative
David Wu
Oregon

State Representative
Swati Dandekar
Iowa

Representative
Mike Honda
California

Governor
Tim Kaine
Virginia

Assemblywoman
Carol Liu
California

Representative
Cy Thao
Minnesota

Representative
David Wu
Oregon

Councilor
Sam Yoon
Boston

Gautam Dutta, Esq.
E.D. of AAA-Fund

Dr. Yi-yu Cho Woo
Scholar, painter,
poet, composer

Willard Tom, Esq.
Partner at Morgan,
Lewis & Bockius LLP

Sam Chang, Esq.
Sr. Partner, Wasserman,
Mancini & Chang