Obama taps L.A. federal judge Nguyen for 9th Circuit

[bemildred]

Judge Jacqueline Nguyen had never met a lawyer before attending law school at UCLA. She fled Vietnam during the fall of Saigon with her parents and five siblings all younger than 11 and started life in the U.S. living in a tent city with other refugees at Camp Pendleton.

Now President Obama has nominated Nguyen, who two years ago became the first Vietnamese American woman to serve as a federal judge, to the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco.

“Judge Nguyen has been a trailblazer, displaying an outstanding commitment to public service throughout her career,” Obama said.

After fleeing Vietnam, Nguyen’s parents saved enough money to open a doughnut shop in North Hollywood. Her mother cleaned dental offices at night and peeled apples for a pie company, jobs Nguyen would often help with, as her father transitioned from being a major in the South Vietnamese Army to being an overnight-shift worker at a bank and a gas attendant.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-nguyen-9thcircuit-20110923,0,3900051.story

[vaberella]

1. Remember this would be a "token" appointment by a chauvanist Pres who supports neo-liberal policies!

Or so I've been told by some. ~sigh~ Another great accompolishment for the rights of women and particularly the rights of minority (East Asian) women in America. I love my President. He's a man who appreciates, supports, motivates, and encourages the involvement of women in higher office. It's a true testament to his upbringing, being surrounded by unconventional women who fought against the norms and dictatorships of a patriarchal society to give him the best they can also to the women he married and the women he wants his daughter to become. I am truly encouraged by this nomination and I hope her all the best in recieving this nomination. She seems to deserve this and her family life shows that she's the quintessential embodiment of the American dream.

Thanks for posting this, for those of out there who care.

[Whisp]

6. That was very well said. Thanks.

[ClarkUSA]

2. Pres. Obama has nominated and/or appointed more Asian-Americans to higher office than any Prez.

For example, it's hard to believe we had to wait until this year for an actual Chinese-American to be appointed Ambassador to China.

The Secretary of Energy is the Pulitzer-Prize winning Dr. Steven Chu.

He nominated another liberal Chinese-American to the CA Supreme Court, but Republicans blocked that.

[jberryhill]

3. Umm... not quite

The president, of course, does not appoint judges to the CA Supreme Court.

Goodwin Liu was previously nominated to this position on the Ninth Circuit, and his nomination was blocked.

Jerry Brown then nominated Mr. Liu to the CA Supreme Court.

[ClarkUSA]

4. Oops. Small detail. However, my title assertion still stands.

Thanks for the correction.

[jberryhill]

5. Yes, the overall point is correct