MANILA, Philippines — US President Joe Biden nominated a Filipino-American veteran for a post in the US Air Force.
The White House announced Gina Ortiz Jones, an Iraq war veteran, as nominee for undersecretary of the US Air Force under the Department of Defense.
The US Senate has yet to confirm her nomination.
One of my earliest memories is helping my mom study for her citizenship test. It's why to this day I know Patrick Henry...
Posted by Gina Ortiz Jones on Thursday, 17 September 2020
Jones will become the highest Filipino-American appointee under the Biden administration and the first woman of color to serve as Air Force undersecretary.
According to a June 2018 report from Inquirer.net, Jones and her sister were raised by their single mother Victoria Ortiz, who immigrated to the US in the late 1970s as a domestic helper.
In 2018, Jones was the Democratic nominee for the 23rd congressional district of Texas.
She became the first openly gay and military veteran running for office in the state. However, she lost to Republican Will Hurd.
The Filipino-American launched a second congressional campaign but lost to Republican nominee Tony Gonzales. — Patricia Lourdes Viray.