The Norman Mineta Papers, 1961-2001 (bulk 1975-1995) document the long-term political career of Norman Mineta. Mineta began his career in local politics as a member of the San José City Council in 1967 and served as mayor from 1971-1975. Mineta was the first American of Asian Pacific ancestry to serve as mayor of a large urban city. In 1974, Mineta was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1975-1995. Mineta co-founded the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and played a leadership role in the establishment of the 1978 Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC). Mineta also secured passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, recognizing the wartime treatment of Japanese Americans. He provided additional leadership as the Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Public Works and Transportation (1992-1995). Mineta returned briefly to the private sector as the Vice President of Lockheed Martin Corporation. From 2000-2001, Mineta served under President Clinton as the Secretary of Commerce, and from 2001-2006, he served under President Bush as the United States Secretary of Transportation. Note that his district office files have been placed with the Japanese American Museum in Los Angeles. This collection consists of Norman Mineta's Legislative Office files and is arranged into six series: Series I. Administrative Files, 1967-1995 (bulk 1975-1995); Series II. Awards & Memorabilia, 1971-1996 (bulk 1980-1996); Series III. Commerce Files, 1967-1994 (bulk 1977-1994); Series IV. Public Relations & Press Files, 1974-2001 (bulk 1980-1994); Series V. Subject Files, 1961-1996 (bulk 1977-1995); and Series VI. Transportation Files, 1974-1995 (bulk 1982-1995).
