Speeches by Secretary Elaine L. Chao

Printer-Friendly Version

Remarks by
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
To the Hmong American Mutual Association
Minneapolis, Minnesota
August 28, 2002

Good morning! It’s a great pleasure for me to be here at the Hmong American Mutual Association. I’m also pleased that my friend Norm Coleman, the former mayor, is able to join me today. I’m also pleased to introduce you to Mina Nguyen, my special assistant for Asian American Liaison.

I’m delighted to be here today to announce the first phase of G.A.T.E.—The Growing America Through Entrepreneurship—program. G.A.T.E. is a $9 million joint initiative between the U.S. Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration. The goal of this program is to help create, support and expand small business opportunities in diverse communities like this one. Our mission is to help members of this community and others who want to own their own businesses realize their entrepreneurial dream.

G.A.T.E. combines two of the best programs in our respective departments—SBA micro enterprise loans with the training and assistance programs run by the U.S. Labor Department’s One-Stop Job Resource Centers. SBA provides the seed money. The U.S. Department of Labor provides the training and technical assistance to help budding entrepreneurs get off to a successful start.

Today we are kicking off G.A.T.E. demonstration projects here in the Asian American community of St. Paul- Minneapolis, Minnesota. One of the key new elements about this program is that we have packaged many government assistance programs together so they can be delivered in one place, so people can easily come and use these services. And, an important part of our program is to help potential entrepreneurs with limited English proficiency own their own business.

For many newcomers to the United States, the desire and sometimes the necessity, to start your own business is well-known. I know this personally. I came to the United States as an eight-year-old immigrant from Asia, speaking no English. My parents wanted to come to America because they believed America was the land of golden opportunity and had confidence in the basic decency of the American people.

My family and I have been fortunate and our America has rewarded my parents’ hard work and perseverance with a wonderful new life. But I remember the hardship of my early years in America. That’s why I wanted to establish a program that will help other families realize their dreams as well.

The name of this program, G.A.T.E.—The Growing America Through Entrepreneurship—program was chosen carefully. We want to open the gate for those who seek self-employment. As these new G.A.T.E.’s swing open, we hope they will create jobs for others as well. After all, small business is the real engine of growth in our economy. 80% of all new jobs in this country are created by small business. Small entrepreneurs make up 99% of America’s employers.

The U.S. Department of Labor will offer training for those who want to start a business or expand an existing enterprise. Some of the skill sets we will teach include:

• basic business management
• marketing
• writing a business plan
• managing cash flow
• financing
• legal requirements,
• insurance
• bookkeeping,
• and—of course—local, state, and federal taxes

The SBA will offer Micro Loans ranging from $100 to $35,000 to participants in our G.A.T.E. demonstration projects. In addition, Self-Employment Assistance allowances will be provided to dislocated workers pursuing self-employment in lieu of regular UI payments. All of the G.A.T.E. services will be offered and coordinated through local U.S. Department of Labor One-Stop Job Resource Centers.

The number of minority-owned small businesses more than doubled between 1982 and 1997. Three million minority-owned businesses have created almost five million jobs and generated about $600 billion in revenues.

Small business in the Asian American community is particularly strong. Asian Americans own 1.1 million businesses that generate $275 billion in revenues. Thirty percent of minority-owned businesses are Asian-owned and they employ over 2 million people.

The U.S. Department of Labor wants to provide the tools to help many more follow in these successful footsteps. It’s particularly gratifying to initiate this program in the Hmong community, to whom many American servicemen and women owe a special debt of thanks. Now it’s our turn to be there for you.

Thank you for helping us kick-off this exciting new program. I look forward to getting many updates. And I look forward to hearing about the families we have helped launch on the path to opportunity, independence and the American dream.

# # #

_________________________________________________________________

U.S. Labor Department news releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc)from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call 202-693-7773 or TTY 202-693-7755.