Dear Asian American and Pacific Islander Leaders: Today, President-Elect Barack Obama announced the appointment of an Asian American to his cabinet. General Eric Shinseki has been tapped to serve as Secretary of Veteran's Affairs. You will recall that back in 2003, General Shinseki advised that it would take hundreds of thousands more troops to secure Iraq. He was right.

Please see the press release below and forward it to your networks. Additionally, note that three Asian Americans have already been announced for senior White House positions: · Pete Rouse, Senior Advisor to the President · Chris Lu, Cabinet Secretary · Tina Tchen, White House Director of Public Liaison Finally, in keeping with our efforts to run the most transparent transition in history, I want to share with you the recording of a conference call we held on Wednesday, November 26th. The call was hosted by Charmaine Manansala and Betsy Kim, who led the AAPI Vote program during the campaign. More than 150 leaders from the AAPI communities participated and heard from Chris Lu and me about how the transition process works. You can download the recording of that call at: http://change.gov/page/-/AAPIConferenceCall.11.26.08.mp3 We will continue these calls, e-mails and outreach over the next 44 days and into the new administration. Enjoy your Sunday! Parag V. Mehta Office of the Public Liaison AAPI, LGBT, Education & the Arts Presidential Transition Team ===================== FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 7, 2008 Contact: Obama Transition Press Office, 202-540-3483 President-Elect Barack Obama Announces Gen. Eric Shinseki as Secretary of Veterans Affairs CHICAGO – President-elect Barack Obama announced today that General Eric Shinseki will be his nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs. General Shinseki is a former Army Chief of Staff and 38-year Army veteran who served two combat tours in Vietnam. He understands the changing needs of our troops and their families and shares President-elect Obama’s commitment to modernizing the VA to meet the challenges of our time. “Throughout his nearly four decades in the U.S. Army, he won the respect and admiration of our men and women in uniform because they have always been his highest priority,” President-elect Obama said. “He has always stood on principle – because he has always stood with our troops. And he will bring that same sense of duty and commitment to ensuring that we treat our veterans with the care and dignity they deserve.” General Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Born in Hawaii to a Japanese-American family, Eric Shinseki graduated from West Point in 1965. He went on to serve in the Army for 38 years, from 1965 to 2003, including two combat tours in Vietnam, where he lost part of his right foot. He served as Chief of Staff of the Army from 1999-2003. General Shinseki has commanded troops from Vietnam to the Balkans, and his career has been marked by innovation, vision, and fierce loyalty to the troops who served under him. He is the recipient of numerous decorations, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Legion of Merit, and the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medals. ###