WASHINGTON, D.C. / October 9, 2006 — The Asian American Action Fund has endorsed Jim Webb, candidate for the United States Senate from Virginia.

"Jim Webb not only understands the Asian Pacific American community, he is a virtual member of it," said Erika Moritsugu, executive director of the AAA-Fund. "Fluent in Vietnamese, Jim has spent much of his personal and professional life interacting with and fighting for Asian Pacific Americans. His open-mindedness and appreciation of the APA community will provide a refreshing change from Virginia's current junior Senator."

Webb's experiences have given him a broad and deep understanding of both Asia and the APA community. As a marine in Vietnam, he served as rifle platoon and company commander in Danang, and was awarded the Navy Cross, Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. After returning to the United States and earning his law degree, Webb devoted countless hours to providing pro bono legal assistance to Vietnamese refugees in the United States. His wife, Hong Le, is an Asian American herself, having immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1975.

"I want to express my appreciation to the AAA Fund. They have done an extraordinary job advancing the goals of the APA community - a community for which I have a profound respect. I look forward to working with the AAA Fund and the APA community as Virginia's next United States Senator to give all Americans the chance to achieve their dreams," said Webb.

Through his professional and personal experiences, Webb has developed a distinctive and well-recognized expertise on Asia. In the 1970s, he served as a consultant to the Governor of Guam, conducting a study of U.S. military land needs in Asia and their impact on Guam's political future. In 1989, Webb was invited by the Japanese Foreign Ministry to meet with key government and industrial officials. In the course of his diverse professional history - as a public official, journalist, business consultant, and screenwriter-producer - Webb has traveled extensively through the Asian Pacific, further developing his understanding of the region and its people.

Webb's history of public service includes numerous government positions, including counsel to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Secretary of the Navy, a position also once held by Virginia's senior Senator, John Warner.

"Jim Webb is committed to serving all Virginians, regardless of race, class, or ethnicity," said Rose Chu, President of the AAA-Fund Virginia Chapter and co-chair of Diversity for the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. "He stands for economic fairness and access to quality health care for all Americans."

If elected, Webb will represent over 260,000 Asian Pacific Americans living in Virginia.

The AAA-Fund is a Democratic political action committee whose goal is to increase the voice of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on every level of local, state and federal government in America. To achieve this goal, we address the chronic under-representation of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) as campaign volunteers, campaign contributors, and candidates for political office. The AAA-Fund has endorsed candidates across the country.