Norman Mineta spent three years in a internment  camp for Japanese-Americans when he was a child. But this shameful period in American history did not deter him from becoming a celebrated civil servant, one who broke racial barriers to become a 10-term U.S. Congressman from California and the first Asian-American member of the Cabinet.  In honor of Norm Mineta, who died last week at the age of 90,  and in celebration of Asian-American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we invite you to take a second listen to our episode from 2020. It also features  the story of long-serving U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, a veteran of the most decorated regiment in US history, the 442nd. The 442nd was a segregated Japanese-American unit that fought in Europe after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  These two stories stand in stark contrast, and reflect some of the worst - and best - impulses in America. And they are a testament to the triumph of the human spirit.

(c ) American Academy of Achievement 2020-2022