Senator Dave Min Condemns DMV’s Proposal to Eliminate Korean Language Driving Tests
Senator Dave Min Condemns DMV’s Proposal to Eliminate Korean Language Driving Tests
Min is California’s Only Korean American State Senator and an Outspoken Advocate Against Anti-Asian Hate
SACRAMENTO, CA — Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) released the following statement in response to news that the California Department of Motor Vehicles was proposing to eliminate the offering of written driver’s tests in the Korean language:
“California is home to the largest population of Korean Americans in the country, with nearly a half million residents of Korean descent,” Min said. “The DMV’s proposal to eliminate 25 language options from its written driving tests, including Korean, will deprive Korean Americans and other new Americans of their ability to legally drive, something that is effectively a requirement to get around in many parts of this state, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. I unequivocally condemn this proposal and will be following up with DMV Director Steve Gordon and his staff to understand why, in the midst of a national surge in anti-Asian hate that has terrified and dismayed California’s Asian American population, the DMV has chosen to take actions that will so deeply harm this group.”
With his election in 2020, Senator Min became only the second Korean American — and first in over 40 years — to ever serve in the California State Senate. The first Korean American State Senator, Alfred Song, left office in 1978. Senator Min has been outspoken in speaking out against anti-Asian hate, speaking at dozens of events including prominent rallies in Ladera Ranch and Sacramento.
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Dave Min represents California State Senate District 37, which is located in Orange County and includes the communities of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Foothill Ranch, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Orange, Tustin, and Villa Park.
Dave was a University of California Irvine law professor and a former economic policy staffer in the United States Senate and for the Center for American Progress. He began his legal career at the Securities and Exchange Commission to protect the retirement security of seniors, turning down high paying jobs to serve the public interest. Dave and his wife Jane live and work in Irvine, where they are raising their three young children.