"Bridging the Divide"

Five thousand miles separate the United States and Japan, and Mr. Mineta, a nisei, has spent his life serving as a bridge between the two cultures. He has attained the highest ranks of power and prestige in American politics. He served as Secretary of Commerce in the Cabinet of President Clinton, making him the first Japanese American to hold a post in the presidential cabinet. Then, he became the only Democrat to have served as Secretary of Transportation in Bush's cabinet.

During the September 11, 2001 attack, Mineta issued an order to ground all civilian aircraft traffic for the first time in the U.S. history. He found his calling in the transportation field, knowing it could connect communities and cities to economic greatness. Transportation, he believed, could improve the quality of life and spur economies to create good, meaningful jobs that provide citizens with a sense of self-worth. He didn't let his time behind bars in the World War II internment camps embitter him. Instead, it empowered him.

Mr. Mineta will discuss why he wants to be remembered as the bridge builder who linked the world's two greatest powers, the United States and Japan.