U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao speaking to Houston-area Asian American leaders at an event hosted by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
HOUSTON – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao, Co-Chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, met with local Asian American leaders at an event hosted by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) in Houston.
“This roundtable reflects the WHIAAPI mission and the importance of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community to our country,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said. “Throughout my career, I have promoted the Asian Pacific American community’s contribution to mainstream America and fought for more opportunities for our community.”
Secretary Chao was joined by Dr. Paul Hsu the Chairman of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, as well as Commissioners Jan-Ie Low, and Herman Martir. Secretary Chao and the local and national leaders discussed infrastructure investment and developing transportation innovations as well as economic growth and job creation.
The top three priorities of the U. S. Department of Transportation under Secretary Chao’s tenure are: Safety is always number 1; The second priority is rebuilding and refurbishing our country’s critical infrastructure. The third priority is to prepare for the transportation systems of the future by engaging with new technologies to address legitimate public concerns about safety, security, and privacy, without hampering innovation.
The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) and the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs (PAC-AAPI) work to broaden access by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) employers and communities to economic resources and opportunities, thus empowering AAPIs to improve the quality of their lives, raise the standard of living of their families and communities, and more fully participate in our economy.