Hilda Solis
Secretary of Labor, US Department of Labor
“I was told by my high school counselor that I was best suited for an office job, something like a secretary, and I wasn't college material. Well, I guess he wasn't wrong after all. I was suited to be a secretary all right... A Cabinet Secretary!” Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis recently told that story at the National Labor College commencement ceremony to thunderous applause from the graduating class. She went on to explain how, despite humble beginnings, she has defied the odds and risen to the top. At the age of 51, Solis has already achieved much with her will power and intelligence. She has pioneered many “firsts”, but perhaps most importantly she has become the first Hispanic woman to serve as a cabinet mem- ber. She was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as Secretary of Labor on January 20, 2009 and was confirmed a month
later. Prior to confirmation as Secretary of Labor, Secretary Solis represented the 32nd Congressional District in California, a posi- tion she held from 2001 – 2009.
The third of seven children, Solis was raised in La Puente,
California, a community just east of Los Angeles. Her father, an immigrant from Mexico, worked in a battery recycling plant where he contracted lead poisoning. A Teamsters shop steward, he worked with management and fought for the workers’ health and safety. Her Nicaraguan mother worked in a toy factory and was a member of the United Steel Workers Union.
She remembers
that her parents often spoke out and fought for decent, safe working conditions. “They taught us to love this country. They also taught us that there is value and dignity in a hard day's work.”
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