Nationwide, members of the Asian American Pacific Islander community are turning their pain into action. They are running for office and being elected in record numbers for seats from the local to federal level, many as firsts in their states and nationally. Most recently, the Senate confirmed the country’s first Korean American woman to serve as a U.S. federal appeals court judge. After being appointed by President Joe Biden, Lucy Koh was confirmed by a vote of 50-45 to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Monday.
Koh was formerly a U.S. district judge in the Northern District of California. That position made her the first Asian American U.S. district judge and the first U.S. district judge of Korean descent in the U.S.
She was nominated by Biden on Sept. 20 and had a hearing before the Senate on Oct. 6. In response to a question at her Oct. 6 confirmation hearing, Koh said diversity on the bench serves “to enhance confidence in the justice system” and “to reaffirm the American dream—anyone can become a judge.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Koh’s nomination in October by a 13-9 margin. Republicans at the time had questioned her appointment due to what they considered a lack of experience.
However, many believe their distrust was due to Koh overseeing multiple cases involving the Trump administration's handling of the U.S. census. Over the past decade Koh has presided over "many of Silicon Valley's biggest cases," Reuters reported.
According to KCBS Radio, Koh was previously nominated to the 9th Circuit court by President Barack Obama in 2016. However, her appointment was blocked by Sen. Mitch McConnell. Her disapproval by Republicans thus comes as no surprise. On Monday, every Republican voted against confirming her to the appeals court seat. Despite this, Koh was confirmed and picked to be a part of the court system which is dominated by white, male conservatives.
“Judge Koh would be the first-ever Korean American woman to sit on any Circuit Court in the country. The daughter of immigrants, her background is an inspiring testament to the American dream,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said ahead of Monday’s vote.
Others including Sen. Alex Padilla shared similar sentiments, noting that "in many ways, the story of Judge Koh brings to the bench the epitome of the American Dream."
"As the first Latino to represent California here in this Senate, I know the importance of diversity at all levels of government, and that includes the judiciary. Our country is stronger and fairer when we are guided by the voices and experiences of all of our people," Padilla added.
According to HuffPost, Koh’s confirmation brings Biden’s appointment list to 10 confirmed appeals court judges and 29 lifetime federal judges. He’s confirmed more judges than decades’ worth of past presidents within their first year in office. With her confirmation, 53-year-old Koh now has a lifetime seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
Koh was formerly a U.S. district judge in the Northern District of California. That position made her the first Asian American U.S. district judge and the first U.S. district judge of Korean descent in the U.S.
She was nominated by Biden on Sept. 20 and had a hearing before the Senate on Oct. 6. In response to a question at her Oct. 6 confirmation hearing, Koh said diversity on the bench serves “to enhance confidence in the justice system” and “to reaffirm the American dream—anyone can become a judge.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Koh’s nomination in October by a 13-9 margin. Republicans at the time had questioned her appointment due to what they considered a lack of experience.
However, many believe their distrust was due to Koh overseeing multiple cases involving the Trump administration's handling of the U.S. census. Over the past decade Koh has presided over "many of Silicon Valley's biggest cases," Reuters reported.
According to KCBS Radio, Koh was previously nominated to the 9th Circuit court by President Barack Obama in 2016. However, her appointment was blocked by Sen. Mitch McConnell. Her disapproval by Republicans thus comes as no surprise. On Monday, every Republican voted against confirming her to the appeals court seat. Despite this, Koh was confirmed and picked to be a part of the court system which is dominated by white, male conservatives.
“Judge Koh would be the first-ever Korean American woman to sit on any Circuit Court in the country. The daughter of immigrants, her background is an inspiring testament to the American dream,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said ahead of Monday’s vote.
Others including Sen. Alex Padilla shared similar sentiments, noting that "in many ways, the story of Judge Koh brings to the bench the epitome of the American Dream."
"As the first Latino to represent California here in this Senate, I know the importance of diversity at all levels of government, and that includes the judiciary. Our country is stronger and fairer when we are guided by the voices and experiences of all of our people," Padilla added.
According to HuffPost, Koh’s confirmation brings Biden’s appointment list to 10 confirmed appeals court judges and 29 lifetime federal judges. He’s confirmed more judges than decades’ worth of past presidents within their first year in office. With her confirmation, 53-year-old Koh now has a lifetime seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.