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U.S. Secretary of Labor
Elaine L. Chao’s story
is an inspiring
immigrant saga that is
an example of the rich
traditions and hard
working ethic that new
immigrants bring to our
country. It is a story
that many Latinas can
identify with;
overcoming great
obstacles, strength of
family and commitment to
succeed. We have been
graced with her presence
for eight consecutive
years at the LATINA
Style 50 Awards. It
has been an
unprecedented commitment
and an honor for us to
have been selected as a
leading platform from
where to get the message
of the Department of
Labor out to the Latina
community and corporate
America. In this 10 year
celebration, we also
thank Mrs. Tipper Gore
who supported us in the
launch of the LATINA
Style 50 program in
1998. PepsiCo was
recognized as the
company of the year and
CEO, Ms. Indra K. Nooyi
provided touching
remarks on what the
award meant to her and
to PepsiCo. Much has
changed in 10 years,
Latina accomplishments
have grown but at a
maddening slow speed.
What has come to the
forefront though is the
crucial role that
Latinas are playing in
the family, in corporate
America, in business and
our community. There is
little doubt now as to
the influence of Latinas
in our daily lives.
On a separate note,
Super Tuesday came and
went and now the
selection for a
presidential candidate
from the Democratic
Party is more confusing
than ever. When we
partnered with NALEO to
produce a series of
articles on Latinas and
the 2008 election, we
thought that by now we
would be focusing on the
general election. |
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U.S. Secretary
of Labor, Elaine
L. Chao (Center);
director of the
Women’s Bureau
at the
Department of
Labor, Shinae
Chun and PepsiCo
Executives at
the LATINA
Style 50
Awards |
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No such luck, Democrats
are in a quagmire which
seems to get worse
everyday. Now the
infamous Florida
election fiasco of 2000
seems ready to repeat
itself taking Michigan
along for the ride.
Governor Richardson’s
endorsement of Senator
Obama has raised many
eyebrows in the Hispanic
political world. It all
makes you wonder if
Senator McCain will win
the presidency just by
showing up. Stay tuned;
I’m sure there are many
more nuggets to be mined
out of this race. Our
“Latina Letters from the
Front” column continues
to provide us with
valuable insights on how
our Latina soldiers are
faring in the war on
terror. These women are
some of the best our
country has to offer and
they deserve our support.
You can respond to their
letters by emailing them
at
www.latinasinthemilitary.com.
On a sad and concluding
note, we mourn the loss
and honor the life and
accomplishments of Sara
Gonzalez, a unique
business leader that
throughout her life
helped her community to
advance their station in
life. She will be sorely
missed but her legacy
will continue to shine
and remind us that yes,
one person can make a
difference!
Robert E. Bard |
