Title Representative, State of California Company US Congress Bio Michael M. Honda is the Representative for California’s 17th Congressional District in the heart of Silicon Valley, covering portions of Santa Clara and Alameda Counties. Honda’s district is the only Asian Americanmajority district in the continental United States. Born in Walnut Grove, CA, Honda spent his early years with his family in a Japanese American internment camp during World War II, spending the rest of his childhood in San Jose. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from San Jose State University. Congressman Honda has a long history of public service, serving in the U.S. Peach Corps in El Salvador, where he became fluent in Spanish. Honda went on to become a teacher, principal, and member of the San Jose Planning Commission, San Jose Unified School Board, and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 1996, where he served until he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2001. Honda serves on the powerful House Committee on Appropriations, including on two Appropriations Subcommittees: The Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, and the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies. Congressman Honda has focused his efforts on education, civil rights, immigration, transportation, the environment, and technology issues. He is a champion of educational equity, working to raise awareness to the disparities in our education system. Congressman Honda is Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, after having served as Chair for an unprecedented seven years. He is also the founder of the Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus and a founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus. Honda returns to his district whenever the House is not in session to do work on behalf of the people of Silicon Valley. He is the proud father of his son Mark and daughter Michelle and grandfather to three grandchildren.