Fact Sheet

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITY

As the first American woman of Asian descent to be in a President's Cabinet, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has always stated her commitment and strong ties to this community.

Under her leadership, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) has made significant contributions to the advancement of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community through its human capital program, enforcement priorities, compliance assistance efforts and partnership activities.

Opening doors to Asian Pacific Americans at the highest levels of government

President Bush has appointed more Asian Pacific Americans to positions in his Administration - 206 - than any other President in history. Two of these are Cabinet Secretaries and 30 others are PAS (Presidential Appointees, Senate Confirmed) serving in the highest ranks of the Administration. Twenty-three Asian Pacific Americans, a record number, have served in the White House under President Bush.

Secretary Chao is the first Chinese-American, and first Asian American woman, to be appointed to the Cabinet. She has appointed more Asian Pacific Americans to positions at the Department of Labor than any other Cabinet Secretary.

Enforcing Executive Order 11246 to fight discrimination against Asian Pacific Americans by federal government contractors and subcontractors

Executive Order 11246 tasks the Labor Department with enforcing nondiscrimination in employment by government contractors and subcontractors only. Overall workplace discrimination issues are addressed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

In Fiscal Year 2003, the Department of Labor obtained settlements that provided $26,220,356 in financial remedies to a record 14,361 minority and female workers. There are a number of cases where Asian Pacific Americans received settlements under Executive Order 11246.

For example, in 2002, financial settlements in discrimination cases in Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington State awarded back pay of nearly $160,000 to Asian Pacific Americans. Another $145,000 was awarded as back pay to Asian Pacific Americans in a case in Anchorage, Alaska during 2003.

In fiscal year 2003, the DOL conducted the most Glass Ceiling Reviews in the history of the Glass Ceiling Audit Program. During these audits, DOL assessed whether the corporations erected a "glass ceiling" against any minorities, including Asian Pacific Americans.

Helping Asian Pacific Americans overcome challenges and more fully participate in the American Dream.

To help Asian Pacific Americans recover from the September 11 attacks, the Administration awarded a $1 million grant to dislocated workers in the Chinatown community in New York City.

A $584,700 grant in Georgia assisted workers who had been laid off from manufacturing closures. Many recipients are Thai Americans and Korean Americans with limited English abilities.

To assist Asian Pacific American seniors, the Administration awarded a $6.1 million grant to the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging in Seattle, Washington.

Recognizing that economic freedom and entrepreneurship are a foundation for individual success and prosperity, the Growing America Through Entrepreneurship Project (Project GATE), allocated $9 million to reach historically underserved ethnic populations and help diverse urban and rural populations create, support and expand small businesses.

To better serve the Asian Pacific American communities, the United States Department of Labor's monthly employment report includes, for the first time, specific data on Asian Americans.

To make non-English speaking workers aware of government services and labor rules, the United States Department of Labor has worker safety awareness materials available in Chinese and Vietnamese. To ensure the safety of youth workers, the Department also distributes Chinese language manuals to teen workers.

The Department designed a program called GEM-SET III to encourage Asian immigrant females, ages 13-18, in Chicago, New York City, Houston, Miami, and Los Angeles to explore careers in Science, Engineering, and Technology.

Helping Asian Pacific American workers and employers understand their rights and obligations

The Rapid Employee Assistance in Chinese Hotline, or REACH, is a Chinese language hotline in New York City for workers with questions about their pay. Chinese-speaking Department of Labor Wage and Hour staff answers the help number (212-264-4175) Monday through Friday. During non-business hours a recording instructs callers to leave a message in Cantonese, Mandarin, or Fujianese. A Chinese-speaking investigator then promptly responds to provide assistance. Along with the hotline, 39 Chinese employment agencies serving the New York City area are providing job seekers with information regarding their rights under the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) in Chinese, reinforced through posters and wallet-sized cards.

A partnership in Houston, Texas was formed to educate the Asian American community about their workplace rights. The Information Group for Asian American Rights (TIGAAR) is a collaborative partnership spearheaded by the United States Department of Labor with other government agencies and local Asian Pacific American community organizations as well as media outlets. Through this program 248 APA employees recovered $187,000 in back pay and benefits.

Northern New Jersey has the Compliance Outreach to the Asian Community and Hispanics (COACH) program. The COACH program goes into the Asian and Hispanic communities to work directly with employers and workers who traditionally have been reluctant to seek the Department's services. Thus far, outreach has taken place in Hudson County with visits to businesses in Jersey City, North Bergen, Union City, Guttenberg, and West New York. Most of the employers visited identified their ethnicity as East Indian, Pakistani, Korean, Filipino, Arab or Hispanic.

Fighting discrimination in low-wage industries with chronic violations, where large numbers of immigrant workers, including Asian Pacific Americans, are employed

Last year, the United States Department of Labor direct enforcement efforts in low-wage industries, such as garment manufacturing, health care, janitorial services, restaurants and the hotel industries, yielded $39,595,382 in back wages for workers. Over 80,000 workers in these industries received back wages. Targeted enforcement focused on industries where these workers are often more willing to accept low-wages and less likely to complain to the government when their rights have been violated.

In February 2003, eleven Chicago area Chinese-style buffet restaurants agreed to pay over $665,000 to more than 100 workers employed as busboys and kitchen help. The workers, mostly Asian and Hispanic, worked as many as 66 hours a week and were not paid overtime. In some instances, employees were paid less than minimum wage.

Department of Labor legal action enabled the distribution of more than $1.2 million in unpaid wages to nearly 250 APA garment workers employed in Northern California.

In February 2003 as a result of a Department of Labor investigation, Kilsoo Lee, owner of a garment factory in American Samoa, was found guilty of 14 criminal counts including involuntary servitude, forced labor, extortion, money laundering and conspiracy to the violate rights of more than 200 Vietnamese and Chinese immigrant workers who operated his factory.

Creating opportunities for the growing Asian Pacific American community

To foster a new generation of leaders and promote diversity in the workforce, Secretary Chao established an internship program at the United States Department of Labor that has benefited over 50 Asian Pacific Americans. Annually, Secretary Chao meets with Asian Pacific American interns in the Washington D.C. area to highlight careers in leadership and public service.

To help Asian Pacific Americans access career and leadership opportunities in the federal government, Secretary Chao initiated the annual Asian Pacific American Federal Career Advancement Summit in May 2001. Drawing over 850 federal employees in 2004, this unprecedented training program aims to equip APA government employees with the skill sets to become leaders in the American workforce. In 2004, Secretary Chao introduced the Asian Pacific American Federal Career Guide explaining the federal job search process, which is available online at www.dol.gov/dol/jobs/apa_fcg.pdf.

Addressing the unique needs of the Asian Pacific and Hispanic American communities, the Departments of Labor partnered with federal agencies and non-profit organizations to host the first-ever Opportunity Conference in September 2003. Workshop topics included small business development, accessing capital, doing business with the government, opportunities for faith-based and community organizations, and assistance to workers with limited English proficiency. The conference drew over 1,200 attendees from across the nation and focused on how Asian Pacific Americans and Hispanics will continue to play leadership roles in the American economy. The next conference will be held on Tuesday, October 12, 2004 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. Register online at www.opportunityconference.gov.

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