Norman Mineta rose in local politics in San Jose, California to become the first Asian American mayor of a major U.S. city, and later a member of Congress. He became the first Asian American to serve in the U.S. Cabinet, as Secretary of Commerce under Pres. Bill Clinton and Secretary of Transportation under Pres. George W. Bush during 9/11. He and his family were forced into an internment camp during WWII, and he became a driving force behind Congressional action to apologize to and provide redress for Japanese Americans.
The Cinetopia Film Festival presents a new documentary on his life, “Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story,” at the Cinetopia Film Festival, on Thursday, May 16. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the two filmmakers, Debra Nakatomi and Dianne Fukami, moderated by Detroit Public TV’s Senior Producer, Bill Kubota.
Detroit Public TV (56.1) will be airing “Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story” on Monday, May 20, at 9 p.m.
