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Remarks Delivered by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
16th Annual DOL Observance of APA Heritage Month
Frances Perkins Building, Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Thank you, Yann [Yann King, OASAM].
And thank you Ambassador Bold [Ravdan Bold, Ambassador to Mongolia] for being a part of this celebration.
As you all know, May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. And during this special time each year, the Department of Labor makes a concerted effort to help acquaint mainstream America with the many contributions that Asian Pacific Americans have made to our country.
Diversity is one of our nation's core strengths. America is increasingly part of a competitive worldwide economy. And Asian Pacific Americans are one of the fastest growing segments of our society. Asian Pacific Americans have much to contribute and can help our country remain competitive by building bridges of understanding.
Today, the number of Asian Pacific Americans within the federal workforce continues to grow. There are now over 93,000 Asian Pacific Americans working in civilian federal government jobs. And since 2001, President Bush has appointed a record number of more than 400 Asian Americans to the senior-most positions in the federal government. So, the voices of our community are increasingly being heard at the very highest levels of government.
Since 2001, the Labor Department has been committed to helping the Asian American community — and other traditionally underserved communities — access opportunity in mainstream America.
In January 2004, the Labor Department officially registered its APA Council. Prior to that, volunteers from the Asian Pacific American community within the Department were able to hold just a few small events each year. Today, the APA Council hosts several social and cultural events, like this one and the Lunar New Year Celebration. The council also helps raise awareness on issues throughout the U.S. workforce that impact the APA community. And the council sponsors several career development programs, like the APA Federal Career Advancement Summit.
Also, for the first time, in 2003, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Labor, began to track the employment patterns of Asian Pacific American in separate categories. That's how we now know that the unemployment rate for Asian Pacific Americans is 3.3 percent.
This Administration has also made a special effort to target enforcement of our nation's wage and hour laws on industries that employ large numbers of vulnerable, immigrant workers, including Asian Pacific Americans. In 2006, the Department recovered nearly $172 million for over 246,000 employees who did not receive the wages they were due. This represents a 30 percent increase since 2001.
The Department has also posted record results in enforcing equal opportunity rights for employees of federal contractors — with an increase in financial recoveries of nearly 80% since 2001.
And since FY 2001, the Department achieved monetary results of more than $7.8 billion for employee benefit plans, workers, and retirees.
Also, because the labor laws of our country are complex and often difficult to understand, the Department has translated labor law materials into multiple languages, including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean.
The Department of Labor's annual Asian Pacific American Federal Career Advancement Summit is now in its sixth year. The Summit helps Asian Pacific Americans access career and leadership opportunities within the federal government, bringing together many workshops and outside speakers. This year's summit was held earlier this month, and there were over 1,300 participants — a record! Many in this audience from the Department volunteered to help. Thank you.
Every year, the Department also hosts an Opportunity Conference to help Asian Pacific Americans, Hispanics, and African-Americans gain access to leadership opportunities in the U.S. workforce. Last year, the event was held in Philadelphia with over 1,000 people participating. These conferences include workshops on small business development, accessing capital, government grant and contracting opportunities, and networking and communications. The next Opportunity Conference will be held on September 18, 2007 in Washington, DC.
The Department also started a summer internship program, which has benefited over 60 young Asian Pacific Americans. These internships are paid positions that can help develop the next generation of young leaders.
These are just a few examples of the programs the Department has launched to help the Asian Pacific American community access greater opportunities. Thank you for supporting these programs, for helping in every way possible.
Our nation can benefit from the strong values, rich cultures, and vast talents of Asian Pacific Americans. We have much to contribute. Thank you for all you are doing to strengthen our community and our country.
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