The following article is a cross-post of a blog that first appeared on the U.S. Department of Labor's (Work in Progress) Blog:

It has been an honor to be your secretary of labor. Today, as I prepared to say farewell, I decided that I wanted to share my...

En el primer lunes de septiembre celebramos el trabajo de todos los hombres y mujeres que han construido la economía más grande del mundo. En este Día del Trabajo, cuando el Departamento de Trabajo esta próximo a la celebración de nuestro centenario, siento un orgullo especial por los...

On the first Monday of September, we honor the workers who built the world's strongest economy. This Labor Day, as the U.S. Department of Labor approaches our centennial celebration, I take extra pride in the historic efforts of today's workers to drive our recovery by learning new skills...

As young Americans all across the country head back to a new school year, I'm excited to say that many more will take with them lessons learned through summer jobs.

Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its annual report on youth employment. The numbers...

Lupe Ontiveros' great talent extended far past television, stage and motion pictures. Indeed, she was a fine actress, but more than that, she was a woman of great action. And she was my friend for more than 20 years.

Growing up in...

My parents raised me to believe in the American Dream.

They grew up in different countries--Mom in Nicaragua, Dad in Mexico--but they met and fell in love in an American citizenship class in southern California.

From this storybook beginning, they raised their seven children to believe that if you...

Each year, juvenile courts in the United States handle roughly 1.6 million cases involving criminal allegations. And each year, an estimated 144,000 youth are placed in juvenile correctional facilities.

Many youth who spend time in the juvenile justice system struggle with low literacy levels, histories of home violence,...

Community colleges are at the frontlines of education in America.

That's the message Dr. Jill Biden and I have been taking across the country this week on our "Community College to Careers" bus tour.

It's also a message that is especially important to the Latino community.

This week in Washington, we got our first taste of snow and sub-freezing temperatures of the New Year. As a California native, I admit my thoughts instinctively turned to the summer. I can't help it. It's in my DNA.

But I'm in good company because President Obama has been thinking...

In a widely noticed human rights speech this month in Geneva, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton articulated U.S. policy on the fundamental rights of all people living in the world.

She said, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights ... rights are...

Last night, Ohio voters delivered a bona fide victory for public sector workers everywhere.

After months of advocacy and organizing, the people of Ohio have defeated a law that would have silenced the middle class and curtailed the collective bargaining rights of thousands of teachers, firefighters and police officers....

On Sunday, we will remember 9/11 as a wake up call to be vigilant in our efforts to protect the American homeland. Never again will we tolerate our security being threatened or let our guard down in the fight against terrorism.

We can never bring back the nearly 3,000 people...

I spent Labor Day with President Obama in Detroit. As we looked ahead to his big speech on Thursday and discussed his plan to put all Americans back to work, he said to me:

"Hilda... as tough as things have been on Latino workers, I know our...

You don't have to look very hard to notice the impact Latinos are having across all walks of American life.

We're leaders in politics, business, labor, culture and sports. We're on the Supreme Court, in the president's cabinet, in governors' mansions and in the leadership of Congress. We're CEOs of...

I was "raised union."

My mother, who immigrated to the United States from Nicaragua, worked the 3 p.m. to midnight shift at a toy factory after the birth of my younger twin sisters. She was a member of the United Rubber Workers, which later merged with the Steelworkers Union.

My...

Last night, as millions of Americans tuned in and logged on to follow the president's State of the Union address, I was honored to have a front row seat. Sitting there in the "people's chamber," surrounded by current and former colleagues -- as well as a few new faces --...

This morning I had the honor of standing with Senator Tom Harkin, a tireless advocate for the elimination of child labor, as I announced the release of three Labor Department reports on child labor and/or forced labor around the world.

These reports shed light on the work that...

Early in my career, I worked as a student advisor and higher education recruitment counselor. Many of the young people I worked with were undocumented, including a college-bound young man whose academic achievements and dedication to hard work made him a model student in everyone's eyes. He gave everything his...

Earlier today, the Senate failed to invoke cloture on S. 3772 -- the Paycheck Fairness Act -- by a margin of 58-41.

I am deeply disappointed that the Senate did not pass this important piece of legislation, but the issue of pay equity is far too important to give up....

Left to Right: Julian Castro, Mayor of San Antonio, TX; Rigoberta Menchu , Nobel Peace Prize winner from Guatemala; Secretary Hilda Solis; Sam Sayyad; Actor Edward James Olmos

My Latino heritage has always been a...