Congresswoman Laura Richardson Recognizes Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Honorable Jacqueline H. Nguyen of California, whom the Senate confirmed yesterday to the United States Court of Appeals for The Ninth Circuit by a vote of 91-3. Judge Nguyen becomes the first woman of Asian descent to serve on the federal bench. What a wonderful way to begin Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

Mr. Speaker, Judge Nguyen is a testament to this truly being the land of opportunity. She was born in Dalat, Vietnam and at the age of nine, she fled Vietnam with her family during the fall of Saigon. Upon arriving in the United States, her family lived for a time in a refugee tent city at Camp Pendleton before settling in the Los Angeles area. She helped her family operate a doughnut shop in North Hollywood, where she studied between helping customers. At a very young age she was put in a difficult situation but her circumstances did not deter her from her dreams.

Judge Nguyen received her A.B. from Occidental College in 1987, and her J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 1991. From 1995 to 2002, she worked in the United States Attorney's Office in the Central District of California. Serving in the criminal division as an Assistant United States Attorney, she worked as a federal prosecutor in the General Crimes section from 1995-1996 and in the Public Corruption and Government Fraud section from 1996-1999. She took on the role of the General Crimes section's Deputy Chief from 2000-2002.

In 2002, she was appointed to serve on the state bench as a Judge of the Superior Court of the County of Los Angeles, becoming the first female Vietnamese-American judge in California's history. In July 2009, President Obama nominated Judge Nguyen for a seat on the bench of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. After being confirmed 97-0 she became the first Vietnamese-American to serve on the federal bench. Judge Nguyen brought to the federal bench substantial civil and criminal experience both as a lawyer and as a judge.

Like many other great Americans, she has followed in the American tradition of giving back. She is a founding member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association. She is the recipient of numerous awards from legal associations, including the Women's Leadership Award, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (2010), and the Trailblazer Award from both the National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys (2009) and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (2006).

I congratulate Judge Nguyen on her appointment and looking forward to having this exceptional jurist serve with distinction for many years to come.

Thank you. I yield back my time.