Locke said the aim of America’s Opportunity Fund is to “support progressive candidates … in pivotal races who are sympathetic and sensitive to issues of ethnic minorities, and to encourage communities of color to participate in the electoral process.”

Locke related his own entrance into politics, during the violent protests against the Vietnam War. Watching those protests, he felt that there had to be a better way to enact change and decided to go to law school. In the course of his career, he said, he has worked to “increase people’s respect for the government.”

Mineta described his personal experiences during the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II, and the deep impact it had on his own political life. He said that he had seen his father cry only three times — and one of those times was on May 29, 1942, when they boarded the trains that would take them to the internment camp Heart Mountain, in Wyoming. “The reason this happened to us in 1942 is we had no access to our political leaders,” Mineta said.

David Malik, an entrepreneur and longtime supporter of Locke, announced he would match all contributions made at the luncheon. Malik, who immigrated to the U.S. from India in 1980, said that he believes this committee is vital “because this land belongs to immigrants.”

A similar local committee, The Northwest Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans, was founded in October, around the same time as America’s Opportunity Fund. The Northwest Coalition aims to bring “Asian communities together to boost visibility, access and representation in politics,” according to their Web site. Allen Shen, president of the board of directors, said that he will work closely with America’s Opportunity Fund to ensure the committees avoid overlapping, but rather complement each other.

American’s Opportunity Fund’s goal is to raise $150,000 in Seattle within the year, and Locke and Mineta will travel to other major cities to generate support for their effort.

Eleanor Lee can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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