Speeches by Secretary Elaine L. Chao

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Remarks Delivered by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Texas Asian Chamber of Commerce Gala
Houston, Texas
Friday, April 28, 2006

Thank you, Ping [Sun] for that kind introduction. President Bush says that everything is bigger in Texas. After seeing this wonderful turnout, I understand why.

Today Texas is known not only for its unique culture, but also for education and high technology. Houston is home to one of the world's most extensive medical centers, and professors at Rice University have won Nobel prizes for developing nanotechnology. Texas is home to the Houston Space Center, top-notch universities, and world-class research institutions. The Lone Star state is reaching for the stars.

But Texas has not lost sight of the fact that her economy has down-to-earth roots in a thriving small business sector. Texans know that small businesses are the engine of job creation and economic growth in our country.

And Asian Pacific Americans are a dynamic part of America's small business community. Small and medium employers with fewer than 500
employees accounted for 55.8 percent of total U.S. employment. They not only employ more of America's workers, they create more jobs! During the period from September 2003 through March 2005, small and medium businesses like yours accounted for two-thirds total net job gains in the United States.

The President wants to help small business like yours succeed, and believes the role of the government is to cultivate an environment in which economic growth will occur. To do this, he has followed a plan to reduce the excessive taxation, over regulation and abusive litigation that hamper growth and job creation.

This approach has produced record results for our country. Despite the unprecedented challenges of the past five years, our nation's economy is strong and getting stronger.

The United States finished 2005 with an annual GDP growth rate of 3.5 percent — more than any other major industrialized nation. 5.2 million net new jobs have been created in the U.S. since August 2003 — more than Europe and Japan combined. The national unemployment rate is 4.7 percent, lower than the 5.7 percent average unemployment rate of the decade of the 1990s.

America's strong economic performance is due to many things. Chief among them are its flexible workforce and the opportunity offered to those who are willing to work hard and make sacrifices to achieve their dreams.

That is why my parents came to America. When they were young, war and civil strife forced them to flee mainland China and immigrate to Taiwan. In Taiwan, they had a big dream — to go to America. They made the courageous decision that my father would come to America first, to prepare the way for his family. After he came to America, he worked for three long years to save enough to bring his wife and children to this country. Those lonely years of separation were very difficult. My parents could communicate only through letters. But their faith and their determination to have a better life sustained them.

Without family and friends in this country, community organizations helped my family adapt. My father belonged to a Chinese-American church that gave us practical advice on how to adjust to the culture, customs and language of our new country.

The Texas Asian Chamber of Commerce plays a similar role for the Asian Pacific American community. It helps newcomers with the language, information, and contacts that are so important to accessing opportunity in mainstream America.

As many of you know, education and training have always opened many opportunities. And education and training are becoming increasingly important as America moves toward a knowledge-based economy.

Data collected by the Department of Labor shows that more than two-thirds of the new jobs that will be created will be in occupations that require some kind of post-secondary education. Now, post-secondary education doesn't necessarily mean a 4-year college degree. Some of the strongest demand is for workers with 2-year degrees in specialized fields from community colleges. And apprenticeship programs offered by the skilled trades are another wonderful way to gain highly marketable skills.

Education is destiny. Workers aged 18 and over with a bachelor's degree today earn, on average, about twice that of workers with a high school diploma. Workers with an advanced degree make an average about four times what a high school diploma earns.

But although education and hard work are important, they do not, by themselves, always guarantee success. One of the most highly valued qualities in America is leadership. And leadership requires a special set of skills — called soft skills.

One of the most important soft skills is the ability to communicate. In America, leaders in every sector — whether it is in academia, in business or in public life — are frequently called upon to speak and to write for publication. So, the ability to communicate well in English, both orally and in writing, is key to accessing opportunity in mainstream America.

In America, it's also important to recognize that there is no one way to succeed. Each person is free to create his or her own path. And that can be very confusing for some Asian Americans. Many of us come from more structured societies in which there was only one path to success. In America, you never know where the next opportunity will come from or where it will take you. So, it helps to be open to learning new things, to take risks and to never give up on your dreams.

That's why being here tonight is so important. It's an opportunity to come together, to share hopes and dreams and to encourage the next generation to strive for leadership roles in our society.

Organizations like this Chamber of Commerce provide vital links between Asian Pacific Americans and mainstream America. By building bridges of understanding, you are contributing to the diversity that is one of the great strengths of our nation.

I'm so proud to work for a leader, President George W. Bush, who appreciates diversity and has done so much to reach out to the Asian Pacific American community.

For the first time in America's history, two Asian Pacific Americans serve in the cabinet. And the President has appointed more than 300 Asian Pacific Americans to top jobs in his administration. And 23 have served in the White House itself — a record number!

So, the voices of our community are being heard at the very highest levels of government. At the Department of Labor, we have followed the President's leadership and launched many programs to reach out to the Asian Pacific American community. Let me tell you about our efforts to help Asian Pacific Americans throughout the nation develop the leadership and assimilation skills to help them advance in their careers.

First, the Department publishes an Asian Pacific American Federal Career Guide to provide a pathway and guidelines for those who are interested in entering the federal government.

The Department also holds an annual Career Advancement Summit to help Asian Pacific Americans advance within the federal government.

Another initiative is the Secretary's Internship Program to help develop the next generation of leaders. If you have children who are interested, please visit our website, www.dol.gov, for information on the internship programs.

Finally, let me give you a heads up on the upcoming annual Opportunity Conference hosted by the Department of Labor. This is a Summit to help traditionally underserved communities access opportunity in mainstream America. It offers free workshops on networking, communications and accessing government grant and contracting opportunities. I hope you will check out this conference on www.opportunityconference.gov, or www.dol.gov, and consider attending.

These are only a few examples of the many ways in which we are helping Asian Pacific Americans to access the American dream.

So once again, thank you so much for inviting me to join you tonight. Enjoy your dinner tonight. And thank you for allowing me to join you this evening for this Texas-sized meeting. And let me thank you all that you are doing to strengthen your community and our country.