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Mike Honda

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Mike Honda
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 15th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2001–
Preceded byTom Campbell
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseDeceased

Michael Makoto (Mike) Honda (born June 27, 1941) is an American Democratic politician. He currently serves as Congressman for California's 15th congressional district, which encompasses Silicon Valley. (map)

Background

A Japanese American, he was born in Walnut Grove, California in 1941 and spent his early childhood in an internment camp in Colorado. His family became strawberry sharecroppers in Blossom Valley in San Jose after their return in 1953.

He graduated from San Jose High Academy and then San Jose State University in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences and Spanish and earned a master's degree in 1974. From 1965 to 1967 he served in the United States Peace Corps, working in El Salvador.

A science teacher, he served as the principal at two public schools. In 1971, Honda was appointed by San Jose Mayor Norman Mineta to San Jose's Planning Commission, and won election to the San Jose Unified School Board in 1981. He was a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors (1990) and the California State Assembly (1996-2001).

Political career

Honda was elected to the U.S. House as a Democrat in 2000, succeeding Republican Tom Campbell. From 2001-2006, he served as a member of the Science Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. In 2007, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi appointed Honda to the influential Appropriations Committee. Honda also serves as Regional Whip for Northern California and Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Honda is most famous for introducing resolution AJR 27, which demanded Japan to apologize and compensate for its WW2 actions.

Rep.Honda has consistently supported the causes of civil rights groups, such as the NAACP and Human Rights Campaign. However, he has drawn criticism for his refusal to criticize human rights violations in China, a stand he explains by saying that he believes "things can change" in the country. Honda visited China in 2001.

On February 12, 2005, he was elected a vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee under the chairmanship of Howard Dean. His term is expected to last until 2009.

Support of American Muslims

Honda has been a defender of the civil rights of American Muslims. Soon after the September 11th attacks, Honda spoke at a convention of the American Muslim Alliance (AMA) in October 2001. He told those in attendance not to change their identity or name. "My last name is Honda. You cannot be more Japanese than that." The congressman remembered what he and specially his parents had to go through when Pearl Harbor was attacked. "We were taken in a vehicle with windows covered, we had no idea where we were being taken." Because of that episode in his life the congressman explained that he understood what the Muslims could be going through in America, after the attack on September 11th."[1]

In the Quran Oath Controversy of the 110th United States Congress Rep. Virgil Goode (R - VA) issued a letter to his constituents stating his view that Rep-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN) decision to use the Quran is a threat to "the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America...[and] I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies”.[2]

Rep. Honda wrote a reply, telling Goode "I was surprised and offended to hear about a constituent letter you wrote in response to Representative-elect Keith Ellison's intention to use a Koran during his ceremonial swearing in ceremony. ...it is outrageous to cast aspersions on Representative-elect Ellison purely because of his religious background. Following the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, Muslims have been the subject of profoundly warped stereotypes in this country; stereotypes that are largely derived from a small percentage of extremist practitioners. An entire religious group has become scapegoats for the actions of a few fanatics whose beliefs they do not subscribe to. As one of the many Japanese Americans who were interned during World War II because of war hysteria and racial prejudice, I find it particularly offensive that you are equating Representative-elect Ellison’s beliefs with those of radical extremists and condemning him based on their actions. In your letter, you suggested that all Muslims in this country are immigrants and that immigration laws must be changed to 'preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America' by stopping Muslims from entering. Representative-elect Ellison was born in the United States, and his family has lived here since 1742. He was raised Catholic before becoming a Muslim during college. The spread of ideas and philosophies cannot be stopped by barricading our borders, nor should it be. …Instead of fearing our diversity, Americans, and Members of Congress in particular, must embrace it. America became a great nation through the collaboration of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and other religious and ethnic groups working together to advance our culture and economy."[3]

Comfort women

On the issue of comfort women, Honda proposed a resolution in the Congress calling for Japan to formally acknowledge, apologize, and accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner. About 200,000 Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, and other women and girls in the 1930s and '40s were enslaved to provide sex for imperial Japanese soldiers.[4] He was criticized by Japanese because he collected a large amount of political donation money from anti-Japanese groups of approximately $110,000 from a total amount of about $370,000,[5] but gained respect from many East Asians.[6][7] Honda has stated that "the purpose of this resolution is not to bash or humiliate Japan."[8] However, as reported by the International Herald Tribune (March 2007), the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe has denied that the Japanese government coerced women into slavery.[9]

Trivia

Despite his last name, which he shares with the famous motor company, his primary car is a Toyota Prius, but also owns a Honda Odyssey minivan.

Sources

  1. ^ "Media Report of the 6th AMA National Convention". Oct 18, 2001. Retrieved on Dec. 26, 2006
  2. ^ Erika Howsare (12/19/2006). "Anti-Muslim letter goes out to hundreds - not all are amused". {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Retrieved Dec. 20, 2006
  3. ^ "Rep. Honda 'Surprised and Offended' by Goode's Anti-Muslim Remarks". December 21, 2006. Retrieved on Dec. 22, 2006
  4. ^ Bender, Bryan (2006-10-15). "Congress backs off of wartime Japan rebuke". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2007-03-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ 古森, 義久 (2007-03-15). "「慰安婦」追及のホンダ議員　中国系の献金突出, Political Donation to Mike Honda Who Pursues Comfort Women Is Mainly from Chinese". The Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-03-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ 이, 기홍 (2007-02-01). "일본을 규탄하는 일본계 美정치인 (Japanese American who denounces Japan)". Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-03-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ 김, 철민 (2006-02-14). "일본계 혼다 의원 "일본에 위안부 사과" 촉구, "Japanese American Honda asks Japanese Government to apologize to the comfort woman."". Korea Times (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-03-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ ""Comfort Women" Resolution Likely to Pass U.S. Congress". The Chosun Ilbo. 2007-02-02. Retrieved 2007-03-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ Onishi, Norimitsu (2007-03-07). "Sex slaves of Japanese again endure old pain". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2007-03-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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