U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
National Association of Asian American Professionals
New York, N.Y.
Friday, April 9, 2004

Thank you for that kind introduction, Vincent [Yee, NAAAP President], and thank you very much for honoring me with the First NAAAP National Recognition Award.

President George W. Bush has done a great deal to reach out to our community and ensure that Asian Americans participate fully in the American dream.

President Bush has appointed more Asian Americans to the highest levels of the federal government than any other president in United States history.

Under President Bush’s leadership, more than 206 Asian Pacific Americans have been appointed to high-level offices, including 21 requiring Senate confirmation. For the first time in history, two Asian Pacific Americans are in the Cabinet.

At the U.S. Department of Labor, this Administration has appointed 20 Asian Pacific Americans to top leadership positions, the highest number of any federal government department.

At the Department of Labor, Shinae Chun is the first Asian American Director of the Women’s Bureau, and Sam Mok is the first Asian Pacific American Chief Financial Officer.

Helping Asian Pacific Americans succeed continues to be among this Administration’s top priorities. The Department of Labor hosted the first nationwide Opportunities Conference to foster the small businesses and community organizations serving the Asian Pacific and Hispanic American communities.

This May, the Department is hosting its third annual Asian Pacific American Federal Career Advancement Summit. In the next five years, over one-third of the senior managers will leave the federal government. These summits help Asian Pacific Americans hone the necessary skills to advance to senior management positions within the federal government. The Department also established a summer internship program to encourage future Asian Pacific American leaders—and others—to learn about our nation’s government. If you have college-aged relatives interested in an internship at the Department of Labor, please go on our Web site—www.dol.gov.

The Department has launched a number of other initiatives to assist the Asian Pacific American community. Small businesses are the growth engine of the U.S. economy and an important avenue of opportunity for Asian Pacific Americans. So the Department launched a $9 million project with the Small Business Administration to help Asian Pacific American and Hispanic entrepreneurs access seed capital.

We are translating our publications and the Labor Department Web sites on health, safety and fair compensation into multiple languages, including Asian languages. We have also hired interpreters to help callers who do not speak English access the Department’s many programs and resources.

As some of you may know, one of my highest priorities is to ensure that vulnerable immigrants are protected. We have initiated an outreach program to explain the Department’s many rules and regulations. If the government requires the regulated community to comply with its regulations, then the government has a responsibility to make its rules and regulations understandable.

To better serve the Asian Pacific American community, the Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly unemployment report began, for the first time in 2003, to include specific employment data on Asian Pacific Americans.

These are just a few of the initiatives we are taking to ensure that Asian Pacific Americans fully participate in mainstream American life.

Working for the public sector can be a powerful tool for making a positive difference in the lives of our community and our country.

We are the fortunate beneficiaries of two of the world’s great cultures—Asian and American. That is a great strength that we should always treasure. Thank you for honoring me with the First NAAAP National Recognition Award. And thank you for everything you are doing to preserve and treasure our Asian Pacific American heritage.

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