WASHINGTON, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Wing Chau made history Monday as he became the first Chinese American to serve as the U.S. Marshal for the state of Rhode Island.
Chau said his top priority would be working with the state's law-enforcement agencies as he swore in at the federal court building in Providence, capital of the northeastern U.S. state of Rhode Island.
Chau, who grew up in Rhode Island, was nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump to the job in 2018, and enjoyed bipartisan support.
"You can come from nothing, and one day get a presidential appointment," Chau, who learned of hard work growing up at his family's restaurant, said in an interview after he was sworn in.
Both Democratic senators from the state supported Chau's nomination, while a local Republican mayor and Chau's childhood friend Allan Fung also gave his backing.
"He's been part of keeping our state safe for years," Fung said, adding that Chau had broken a "bamboo ceiling."
The U.S. Marshals Service is the country's oldest federal law enforcement agency, which serves as the enforcement arm of the U.S. federal courts.