Obama Hails Increase in Number of Asian-American Judges

Thursday, May 10, 2012

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Obama Hails Increase in Number of Asian-American Judges

By a MetNews Staff Writer

President Obama paid tribute to Asian-American judges in remarks at an event in Washington, D.C. attended by the newest judge of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The White House yesterday released a transcript of the president’s comments at Tuesday night’s 18th Annual Gala for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.

“So think about how proud all those previous generations would be to see this room, to see how far this community has come,” he said. “Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders are now the inventors and entrepreneurs keeping our country on the cutting edge; the businessmen and women at the helm of some of our most successful industries; leaders in every aspect of American life—in science and medicine, in education, in sports, in the arts, in our Armed Forces; in our government and in our courts. In fact, over the past three years, we have more than doubled the number of Asian Americans on the federal bench.”

He called the crowd’s attention to the presence of Judge Jacqueline Nguyen of Los Angeles, confirmed the previous day by a vote of 91-3, and Second Circuit Judge Denny Chin. He noted that Nguyen will be the first Asian American woman on the federal appellate bench.

The president added:

“In the midst of World War II, when the son of Japanese immigrants, Gordon Hirabayashi, ignored the curfews and refused transfer to an internment camp; when he was jailed for his defiance; when he later appealed his conviction and took his case all the way to the Supreme Court—he understood that he was fighting for something larger than himself. And he once said, ‘I never look at my case just as a Japanese American case. It’s an American case, with principles that affect the fundamental human rights of all Americans.’ And while Gordon is no longer with us, later this year I’ll award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest civilian award America has to offer. Because he reminds us that each of us is only who we are today because somebody, somewhere, felt a sense of responsibility—not just to themselves, but to their family, and their communities, and to this country that we all love.”