By June Kao, National Executive Vice Chair of East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) and APIAVote Intern
Once APIAVote’s reception at the Jones Day in District Columbia had started, I rushed from my spot as one of the greeters at the registration table to enter the room. I quickly noticed it was a packed house. With no empty seat in sight and the standing room in the back crowded with many people, I quietly inched my way to stand by the side. Although I did not have a great view of the speaker, I had a great view of the event. From where I stood I saw the honorees, the speakers, and the audience. It was certainly a sight to behold. The mere number of people, which was about 500, from all over the country who RSVPed within 24 hours could alone stand testament to the great influence Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has on the community. Seeing with my own eyes the many faces that made it out to the event showed how much this community cares for him.
The speakers honored Secretary Locke as well as giving thanks to his wife, Mona Locke. Some of them lightheartedly joked about their encounters with the couple. They went about their recollections as if this was a room full of friends, and it was. I initially stood there as an onlooker privy to their inside jokes, but by the end of the speeches I felt welcomed in this DC community, which Secretary Gary Locke and Mona Locke must have felt when they first moved to DC from Washington. The support here is overwhelming, but not overbearing.
After the warm speeches, Secretary Locke took the stage. This was what everyone waited in anticipation for. Before he could say his first words, camera flashes were going off in a blaze. Here stood a man, whose resume probably says a lot after Daphne Kwok, former APIAVote Chair and current board member, revised it as she would like to jokingly point out. Even so, his presence and moving speech reinforced his reputation as a great civic leader.
Within Locke’s speech, he responded to the joke made earlier about his “pre-Mona” days and also agreed that his wife, Mona, is a great positive influence on him. Earlier, Kwok recalled and addressed to Mona that “Over the years, through the rise of Gary’s Career, you have been our ‘go to’ person when we’ve needed something from him! You so graciously, with your beautiful smile, and a twinkle in your eye, have always said ‘sure’!” And sure enough she had done exactly that when approached by one of the event planners, who suggested last minute that she should say a few words after her husband. With a bright smile, she had said sure without knowing what she agreed to. A few seconds later as the event planner walked away, Mona with a confused face mouthed “what did you say?” Witnessing this I chuckled to myself.
Personally, I am very charmed by Mona Locke and how she has pursued her life. Originally she had been a woman who would not think to date a politician, but she ended up marrying one and supporting him. Secretary Locke had proven to be not what she first expected of politicians. Years later after their marriage in 1994, they have 3 children. But like most modern woman of today, she is not the type to sit still at home as just a house mom. Before she met Secretary Locke she was budding journalist and with her experience she was able to help him with speaking skills and remind him of the people’s needs. Even though she is no longer a journalist, she had continued to work with the community. She was part of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®’s Affiliate network and other non-profit organizations.
All that had not gone unnoticed as Kwok in her speech also greatly thanked Mona for her commitment as a mother, wife, and community member: “Mona, thank you for your unwavering commitment to improving the livelihood of AAPIs. Most importantly, thank you for allowing Gary to spend the time away from your young family in order to serve the nation. We know that your family’s years of public service represent an enormous personal sacrifice. We are eternally grateful.”
While Mona Locke agreed to speak after, her husband, Secretary Locke, continued on in his speech without noticing the planning behind him. With great focus and passion, he began to tap into his family history by recalling how his grandfather came from China to start his family in the United States and coincidentally settled one-mile away from the governor’s executive mansion in Washington. He joked it took 100 years to move that one-mile to inhabit that mansion as governor of the state of Washington for two terms. His supporters are reminded by his compelling background that he is not paving the road for only himself but for others as well, which Floyd Mori, National Executive Director of Japanese American Citizen League (JACL), remarked on: “Gary is one of those rare individuals that not only has been a role model, but he has never forgotten his heritage. Our community has been blessed by his example and commitment.”
As Chris Lu, the Cabinet Secretary of the White House, who spoke earlier in the evening, reflected on his early years growing up, he noted that there weren’t many Chinese Americans in politics to look up to. When Locke was elected Governor of Washington State in 1996, Lu soon found himself a role model. Although not wanting to be disillusioned when he finally getting the chance to meet Locke, who at the time was just selected to be the Secretary of Commerce, he was prepared to be disappointed. Yet, Lu had not been. He stood at the podium and stated that “Gary embodies everything that is good about public service and has affirmed for me that even in the rough and tumble business of politics, it’s possible to succeed and still be a nice person.”
Although Locke already established a precedent as being the first Chinese American governor in the United States, he continues to grow in his political career, which started with him as a legislator. With each step he would keep his own experience in mind when representing the people. During his term as Commerce Secretary, he had the task to conduct the census. Under his leadership he conducted important measures to make sure people were not deterred by the process. The 2010 Census had 10 simple questions and was available in 6 different languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian and Korean. During this past Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, the U.S. Census Bureau released a couple of facts of the AAPI community. One particular fact on growth shows the importance of Secretary Locke’s work: “46% growth of the Asian alone or in combination population between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, which was more than any other major race group.”
Locke challenged the AAPI leadership to unleash the power of the AAPI community through civic engagement and full voter participation. By co-chairing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI), he addressed many AAPI issues to the forefront for the Obama Administration. As a great friend to APIAVote, he would be deeply missed during his absence in DC if he is appointed to be the U.S. Ambassador to China. As I believe, Kwok worded it best, “For us, AAPIs in public service on the domestic front, we will be temporarily losing a powerful, effective champion, and mentor, whom we have all been looking up to, as our public service role model.”
With touching words, Vida Benavides, previous Executive Director of APIAVote, mused “When President Obama remarked that we had to Export our best products and services to strengthen our economy, who knew that he was going to export one of our best and brightest?” Locke’s absence will be noted but his work for his future appointment will be well revered as we only expect the best from one of our best people.
As the evening came to a close, Mona Locke left us with her words. She joked that she didn’t want to go after her husband, but she did have things to say. She expressed many thanks to the community for welcoming them to DC and throughout Secretary Locke’s political career.
I took on this internship at APIAVote to expand my knowledge of politics and to work on projects to engage the AAPI community. On my first day as an intern in DC, I was taken on the fast track to soak in what DC has to offer. For the years down the road, I will fondly remember my time here starting off with the reception on Monday, July 11th, honoring a great man to his community and country, Gary Locke, and the wonderful strong woman beside him, his wife, Mona Locke.
