I am visiting family in Chevy Chase from Portland, Ore., and had the opportunity to read The Gazette’s coverage of Title IX in the June 20 print edition.

While I was glad to see coverage of an important subject most know little about, I was stunned and saddened by one particular glaring omission, namely the mention of Patsy T. Mink (1927-2002).

If you are asking “Who is Patsy Mink?” clearly your writers have not done enough Title IX homework.

Patsy Mink was the principal author of Title IX.

Mink was a Japanese- American congresswoman, a Democrat from Hawaii, the first woman of color to be elected to Congress by the way.

In 2002, Congress renamed Title IX as the “Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act” in her honor.

Someone once said something to the effect that, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

I decided to make this omission a teaching moment regarding cultural invisibility for my niece and nephew as they prepare for high school.

Cultural invisibility usually involves the lack of acknowledgement of the achievements or mere existence of a particular group, in this case Asian Pacific American women, from the view of dominant culture.

Cultural invisibility denies a fair and accurate portrayal of the contributions and realities of many people.

Your paper mentions many women who benefit from and were involved with Title IX including Congresswoman Edith Green (D-Oregon), a fine woman in her own right, but omits Patsy Mink, the woman for whom the bill was renamed.

Everyone, and especially every woman involved with school athletics and higher education, should know the name Patsy Mink and give her thanks on a regular basis.

Kevin W. Thomas, Portland, Ore.