U.S. Representative Mike Honda (D-California) visited with 50-some members of the Arizona Asian American Association (AAAA) outside the Sun Mercantile Building on Saturday, January 21, 2006. AAAA President Arif Kazmi (right) and Save SunMerc Coalition Chair Barry Wong (left) welcomed Rep. Honda to Phoenix.
Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Rep. Honda spoke on a variety of issues of concern to Asian Americans, including immigration reform, Medicare reform, bilingual education, and the war in Iraq. He related his experiences advocating for historic and open space preservation as a member of the San Jose Planning Commission and Santa Clara Board of Supervisors prior to serving in Congress. While stating his inability to comment on the local Sun Merc issue, Rep. Honda urged attendees to “clearly articulate the benefits of your cause and to keep up the good fight.”
Downtown Voices Coalition 