The Coca-Cola Foundation (CCF) has generously donated a check for $60,000 to support the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Fellowships to be named in honor of former Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. This grant will specifically fund two fellowship stipends of $30,000 each for two Asian or Pacific Islander recent college graduates to participate in the 2007 program, said Ingrid Saunders Jones, Chairperson of The Coca-Cola Foundation.
Former Secretary Mineta was recently honored in December by President George W.Bush with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his service to the United States. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is Americas highest civil award. Mineta also served in the Clinton Administration as Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Congressman from the State of California (1975-95), and Mayor of San Jose (1971-74).
pon learning of the Fellowships, Mineta stated, I am deeply indebted to The Coca-Cola Foundation for their generosity in funding these Fellowships to allow young Asian Pacific Islander Americans to follow their dreams in public service.
Mineta co-founded the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and served as its first chair. He was also instrumental in establishing The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) and has recently rejoined the APAICS Board as Vice Chair.
Incoming APAICS Chairman David L. Kim indicated that APAICS has gained great momentum with Secretary Minetas return. He is a great friend to the Asian Pacific Islander community and we are extremely pleased to have him honored in this way.
Including the Mineta Fellows, other APAICS Fellowships may be found on APAICS Web site. They include the George Aratani Foundation/Daniel K. Inouye Fellowship, Anheuser-Busch/Frank Horton Fellowship, and the SODEXHO Health Fellow. Applications to apply for the Fellows program are on APAICS Web site: [mailto:www@apaics.org]www@apaics.org.
Founded in 1994, APAICS is a national 501 (c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan educational organization based in Washington, D.C. It aims to build a politically empowered Asian Pacific American community by filling thepolitical pipeline for APAs to enter and advance into elected office, and to be a resource to Congress on the APA community. |
