By Emil Guillermo

When the Democratic candidates began the 2020 presidential campaign, there was a buzz about reparations for African Americans.

And then, the buzz died.

I mention that because last week, former San Jose Mayor and 13th District Congressman Norman Y. Mineta passed away at age 90.

Mineta will forever be known as the man who got justice for the people incarcerated by the Japanese internment during World War II.

He got reparations passed in a Republican administration.

Think about that. Reparations, the BIPOC holy grail. After Mineta got it done in 1988 under Reagan, it’s never been replicated.

Looking back, it seems like a magic trick. But it wasn’t. It was just hard work and politicking.

That’s why we all should revere the man who died somewhat appropriately in the first week of May, the month now known as Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Mineta was one of the first Congressional boosters to stretch what was originally a week, and then coined it Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

His passing on May 3, 2022, is an important marker on the significance of diversity and representation at the highest levels of government, politics, and elected office.

Born in San Jose to Japanese immigrants, Mineta lived through every major moment in modern Asian American history.

For the barriers he broke, and the policies he established, he was simply the community’s father figure.

He was Mr. Asian America.

For a short-time, I got to be close to him.

In the 103rd Congress in 1993, I was Mineta’s press secretary and speechwriter.

I had been at NPR where I hosted “All Things Considered.” When I left that position, I thought as a Californian in Washington, I should at least get to know how democracy gets done from the inside. Ideally, I figured you can cross the line into the netherworld of politics once. You can even cross back from whence you came. Once. But Norm was no ordinary politician.

He was the embodiment of Asian America in public life.

He was our hopes and dreams. Our cries and sorrows. From the time he was a Cub Scout incarcerated with other Japanese Americans during World War II to the time he served in government, Norm was there for all of us.

He was our fighter and our redeemer when he co-sponsored the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, that got justice for internees. More than $1.6 billion was paid out to 82,200 Japanese Americans, according to the New York Times.

That was always the difference maker. Norm was in the fight to rectify the historical transgression that gives Asian Americans our moral authority to this day.

There were other Asian American politicians, of course. But few had the career arc of Mineta, who first served locally in 1971 as mayor of San Jose. He was the first Asian American mayor of a major U.S. city.

In 1974, he was first elected to Congress, leaving in 1995, when the divided government began to shape up with an aggressive GOP led by Newt Gingrich.

But Norm re-emerged in government with more Asian American firsts, as Commerce Secretary in the Clinton Cabinet, and then Transportation Secretary under G.W. Bush. Two administrations. Two different parties.

The Norm I knew was the 1993 Norm. The people’s Norm.

The Norm who drove a modest white Dodge Colt because he wanted an American car. I knew the guy who worked all day, then carried a huge bag of homework to read through for the next day. I knew the guy who was in the post-flow triumph of the Civil Liberties Act, always diligent, persistent, and searching for a way to make things better.

That’s what I learned about Norm the most. Remember, this was in the early ’90s. Washington was getting nastier, more divisive, and gridlocked.

But Norm had friends like the late Republican Sen. Alan Simpson. They met as Boy Scouts in Wyoming. One incarcerated at the internment camp, the other free. Later as congressmen, they stood for a kind of bipartisanship that is rare these days.

That was perhaps the most significant political lesson I learned from Mineta. Legislation is one thing, but we’re all still human beings. And the goal is to turn adversaries into friends and to have your friends stay friends. You keep the channels open. You create new alliances, like the ideal public-private partnerships.

The point is, Mineta was always seeking solutions, working together with others to make things better.

He passes as the country is bitterly divided on everything. His life should serve as a playbook on how to keep the fragile nature of our democracy whole.

Remember Norm Mineta. He was the Democrat who got reparations passed in a Republican administration.

Today, that would make him a political Superman.

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. Listen to his talk show on www.amok.com Twitter@emilamok

By Tanu Henry, California Black Media

Since 2017, there has been a 9.8% increase of new small businesses — firms with less than 500 employees — in the United States. Over the past two years alone, over 10 million applications were submitted to start new small businesses across the country, according to the Small Business Administration.

That growth trend is true for California, too, where there are about 4.1 million small businesses, the most in the country. Those companies make up 99.8% of all business in California and employ about 7.2 million people.

But for Black-owned and other minority owned small businesses across the country, there was a steep decline in numbers, almost 41%, due to the pandemic, a Census Population Survey found in 2020. During that same time, nearly 44% of minority-owned small businesses were at risk of shutting down, a Small Business Majority report found.

Although a number of reports suggest that the outlook has begun to be more positive as the U.S. economy continues to bounce back defying the odds, and many Black businessowners have also become more optimistic, access to credit and technical support remain a challenge for many who had to dip into their own finances to keep their lights on.

Recognizing the outsized contribution small businesses make to the health of the California economy and the hit many of the smallest of small business have taken during the pandemic, the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) has been making grants of up to $25,000 to small business in the state.

In its latest round of funding called the Dream Fund, which is now accepting applications on a rolling basis, CalOSBA has partnered with Lendistry, a Los Angeles-based, minority-led small business and commercial real estate lender to administer the $35 million grant portion of its program. The fund provides $10,000 to each small business that qualifies.

To become eligible, California-based small business owners will have to complete training at one of the centers run by the state’s Technical Assistance Expansion Program (TAEP) and receive a certificate.

“For the millions of Californians that have dreams of owning their own business, this grant coupled with one-on-one counseling and business expertise from hundreds of counselors at our eighty-seven Technical Assistance Centers, has the power to jumpstart their dreams,” says Tara Lynn Gray, director of CalOSBA.

Jay King, president and CEO of the Sacramento-based California Black Chamber of Commerce, says he applauds Gov. Gavin Newsom for understanding the historic systemic challenges minority businesses face and for “doing something about it.”

But giving Black businesses grants are not a “cure-all,” he says.

“It is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound if we don’t do more to really fix the problems small businesses face,” King explains. “Ninety-six percent of Black businesses are mini- or micro- that means they make less than $100,000 or less than $35,000 a year, respectively,” King continued. “Only 4% of our businesses earn more than $100,000 annually. We have to put more resources and technical support around these businesses.”

King says informing Black business owners about opportunities like the Dream Fund and making sure they know how to apply for or access the funding is critical to making sure the people who need the help gets it.

“You have to get down into our communities,” he said. “You have to reach people through groups that are plugged into our communities to get the word out. We do not hear about these kinds of programs enough. We definitely don’t benefit from them enough.”

Everett K. Sands, the CEO of Lendistry, says he is excited to help California’s new businesses access the capital they need to “begin on their journeys.

“Over the past two years, almost 10 million new businesses have been created in the U.S.,” he says. “With record numbers of new small businesses entering the marketplace, many of which are owned by women and minorities, programs like California Dream Fund pave the way for a more robust and equitable economy as these new businesses make the leap from employing just their founders to employing their communities.”

By Joe W. Bowers Jr., California Black Media

Election offices have begun sending out vote-by-mail ballots for the June 7, 2022, primary elections in California. Statewide, voters will discover that Black candidates for United States House of Representative seats are over-represented on their ballots.

California Black Media (CBM) is reporting that 18 Black candidates are running for 14 U.S. House seats. Eleven are registered as Democrats and seven are running as Republicans. Nine are women and nine are men.

Although African Americans are 5.8% of California residents, Black candidates are on ballots for 26.9% of the U.S. House seats.

California’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representative will have 52 members in the next Congress. While it is the still the largest delegation, one seat was lost due to a decline in population count from the 2020 U.S. census. Congressional district population following the 2020 census is about 761,169 people.

A consequence of losing a U.S. House seat is that district boundaries have been redrawn by the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC) and many district numbers have been reassigned.

For example, Rep. Barbara Lee, one of the three Black members of the California delegation, currently represents House District 13 and is running to represent District 12. However, the district numbers for the other Black representatives, Maxine Waters (District 43), who is running for re-election, and Karen Bass (District 37), who has decided to run for mayor of Los Angeles have not changed.

The Black candidates running for Congress are:

Democrat Kermit Jones is a Navy veteran and an internal medicine doctor who has a law degree. He is running to represent District 3 (Yuba). He is running against three opponents in a district that leans Republican. No current member of Congress is on the ballot for this race.

Republican Jimih L. Jones is a parts advisor for a car dealership. He is running to represent District 4 (Napa). He has five opponents in a solidly Democratic district. Rep. Mike Thompson (D) is running in this race.

Republican Tamika Hamilton, a former Air Force sergeant, is running to represent District 6 (Fair Oaks).  She has six opponents in a solidly Democratic district. Rep. Ami Bera (D) is running in this race.

Two Black candidates are in the competition to represent District 12 (Oakland). Democrat Barbara Lee is a current member of Congress representing District 13 (Oakland). Democrat Eric Wilson is a nonprofit organization Employee. Five candidates are on the ballot. This is a solidly Democratic district.

Republican Brian E. Hawkins is a councilmember and pastor. He is running to represent District 25 (Riverside). He has four opponents in a solidly Democratic district. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D) is running in this race.

Democrat Quaye Quartey is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, veteran, and entrepreneur. He is running to represent District 27 (Santa Clarita). He has five opponents. This district is predicted to be a toss-up for Democrats and Republicans. Rep. Mike Garcia (R) is running in this race.

Republican Ronda Kennedy is a Civil Rights attorney. She is running to represent District 30 (Burbank). She has eight opponents. This is a solid Democratic district. Rep. Adam Schiff (D) is running in this race.

Democrat Aarika Samone Rhodes is a teacher. She is running to represent District 32 (Sherman Oaks). She has six opponents. This is a solid Democratic district. Rep. Brad Sherman (D) is running in this race.

Republican Joe E. Collins III is a retired Navy sailor. He is running to represent District 36 (Torrance). He has seven opponents. This is a solid Democratic district. Rep. Ted W. Lieu (D) is running in this race.

Three Black candidates are running to represent District 37 (Los Angeles). Democrat Jan C. Perry is a community investment executive and former Los Angeles city councilmember. Democrat Sydney Kamlager is a California State senator. Democrat Daniel W. Lee is mayor of Culver City.  Seven candidates are on the ballot. This is a solid Democratic district. Rep. Karen Bass (D) currently represents this district.

Republican Aja Smith is a small business owner. She is running to represent District 39 (Moreno Valley). She has six opponents. This is a solid Democratic district. Rep. Mark Takano (D) is running in this race.

Democrat William Moses Summerville is a pastor and hospice chaplain. He is running to represent District 42 (Long Beach). He has seven opponents. This is a solid Democratic district. No current member of Congress is on the ballot for this race.

Two Black candidates are on the ballot to represent District 43 (Los Angeles). Democrat Maxine Waters is a member of Congress representing this district. Republican Allison Pratt is a youth advocate and mother. Four candidates are running for the seat. This is a solid Democratic district.

Democrat Morris Falls Griffin is a maintenance technician. He is running to represent District 44 (San Pedro). He has two opponents. This is a solid Democratic district. Nanette Diaz Barragan (D), a current member of Congress, is running in this race.

In the June 7 primary election, the two candidates receiving the most votes — regardless of party preference — move on to the Nov. 8 general election. If a candidate receives a majority of the vote (at least 50% plus 1) a general election still must be held.

The Black candidates winning the general election will serve in the 118^th Congress and be sworn in next January.