Saturday, May 14, 2016

Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month



Some Asian-Pacific American Firsts in Politics and Business



1763: First recorded settlement of Asians in the United States:
          Filipinos in Louisiana



1790: First recorded Indian immigrant in U.S.



1820: First recorded Chinese immigrant in U.S.



1847: Yung Wing becomes first Chinese to graduate from U.S.
           college (Yale)



1946: Wing Ong is first Asian American elected to state office
          (Arizona)



1956: Dalip Singh Saund of California becomes first Indian
          American in Congress


1959: Hiram Fong of Hawaii becomes first Chinese American
in Senate and Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii becomes first 
Japanese American in Congress



1964: Patsy Takemoto Mink of Hawaii becomes first nonwhite
          woman in Congress



1986: Gerald Tsai of American Can becomes first Asian American 
          CEO of a Fortune 500 company



1992: Jay Kim of California becomes first Korean American in
          Congress


1997: Gary Locke of Washington becomes first Asian American 
          governor of mainland state


2000: Secretary of Commerce Norman Mineta becomes first
          Asian American Cabinet member



2001: Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao becomes first woman Asian
          American Cabinet member


2007: Bobby Jindal of Louisiana becomes first Indian American
          governor



2009: President Barack Obama appoints three Asian Americans to 
          Cabinet






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