LLENAS Labor Secretary Hilda ░░░░░░░░ is the first Hispanic ░░░░░░░░ to hold that position ░░░░░░░░ is one of the ░░░░░░░░ influential and powerful latinos ░░░░░░░░ America today She was ░░░░░░░░ first California woman to ░░░░░░░░ in the California Senate ░░░░░░░░ as a democratic representative ░░░░░░░░ 8 years she was ░░░░░░░░ champion for organized labor ░░░░░░░░ immigrant rights Secretary Solis ░░░░░░░░ you so much for ░░░░░░░░ here today SOLIS Thank ░░░░░░░░ LLENAS It s been ░░░░░░░░ years at the Department ░░░░░░░░ Labor so the big ░░░░░░░░ is why have you ░░░░░░░░ to opt out on ░░░░░░░░ second term of President ░░░░░░░░ SOLIS Well I ve ░░░░░░░░ served 12 years in ░░░░░░░░ D C 8 as ░░░░░░░░ of the House and ░░░░░░░░ as a member of ░░░░░░░░ Cabinet This holiday season ░░░░░░░░ me a chance to ░░░░░░░░ on where I want ░░░░░░░░ go You look at ░░░░░░░░ New Year s resolution ░░░░░░░░ you think about What ░░░░░░░░ it that I want ░░░░░░░░ do I felt that ░░░░░░░░ was time to come ░░░░░░░░ This last year I ░░░░░░░░ my father Who was ░░░░░░░░ close to me and ░░░░░░░░ strong influence in my ░░░░░░░░ My mother is very ░░░░░░░░ to me as well ░░░░░░░░ is 87 years old ░░░░░░░░ those factors have a ░░░░░░░░ to do with my ░░░░░░░░ As well as going ░░░░░░░░ and seeking opportunities there ░░░░░░░░ know one door may ░░░░░░░░ and another may happen ░░░░░░░░ Your resignation has a ░░░░░░░░ at a time with ░░░░░░░░ expected resignation of Interior ░░░░░░░░ Ken Salazar And a ░░░░░░░░ of latinos are getting ░░░░░░░░ about the diversity of ░░░░░░░░ Cabinet for the second ░░░░░░░░ There are now presently ░░░░░░░░ latinos in the Cabinet ░░░░░░░░ you and Mr Salazar ░░░░░░░░ out SOLIS That s ░░░░░░░░ the time being He ░░░░░░░░ has an opportunity to ░░░░░░░░ LLENAS Of course But ░░░░░░░░ you concerned about that ░░░░░░░░ how high as a ░░░░░░░░ is diversity in the ░░░░░░░░ should be SOLIS It ░░░░░░░░ very important and the ░░░░░░░░ will not shy away ░░░░░░░░ that and I know ░░░░░░░░ he has a commitment ░░░░░░░░ continue to see that ░░░░░░░░ is diversity reflected in ░░░░░░░░ cabinet so let s ░░░░░░░░ him a chance to ░░░░░░░░ that I know he ░░░░░░░░ very concerned also about ░░░░░░░░ quality of individuals He ░░░░░░░░ already put a latina ░░░░░░░░ a Supreme Court Justice ░░░░░░░░ s not forget that ░░░░░░░░ he has also some ░░░░░░░░ ranking individuals that serve ░░░░░░░░ Department of Justice and ░░░░░░░░ in the White House ░░░░░░░░ Munoz is a dear ░░░░░░░░ and is also working ░░░░░░░░ now with issues that ░░░░░░░░ care about Whether it ░░░░░░░░ the economy or immigration ░░░░░░░░ LLENAS There are activist ░░░░░░░░ that are saying if ░░░░░░░░ don t get two ░░░░░░░░ at least three representatives ░░░░░░░░ s a failure Are ░░░░░░░░ with them SOLIS I ░░░░░░░░ t say it s ░░░░░░░░ failure Even in my ░░░░░░░░ department I had the ░░░░░░░░ to bring about more ░░░░░░░░ in diversity My own ░░░░░░░░ cabinet we had about ░░░░░░░░ of diverse population represented ░░░░░░░░ my kitchen cabinet Men ░░░░░░░░ women of color people ░░░░░░░░ disabilities LGBT community let ░░░░░░░░ tell you it really ░░░░░░░░ in terms of how ░░░░░░░░ select those people around ░░░░░░░░ and I know that ░░░░░░░░ are some very good ░░░░░░░░ that I worked with ░░░░░░░░ in the Cabinet because ░░░░░░░░ m still there and ░░░░░░░░ that they are earnestly ░░░░░░░░ to fulfill what the ░░░░░░░░ has wanted us to ░░░░░░░░ LLENAS Secretary you are ░░░░░░░░ California native and there ░░░░░░░░ been plenty of speculation ░░░░░░░░ what your next move ░░░░░░░░ going to be I ░░░░░░░░ spoken to Los Angeles ░░░░░░░░ experts who say You ░░░░░░░░ what her political career ░░░░░░░░ far from over and ░░░░░░░░ fully expect you to ░░░░░░░░ in 2014 for the ░░░░░░░░ of Supervisors role in ░░░░░░░░ Angeles County Is that ░░░░░░░░ is something you re ░░░░░░░░ forward to in the ░░░░░░░░ SOLIS Well I m ░░░░░░░░ to look at a ░░░░░░░░ of opportunities And certainly ░░░░░░░░ is one of those ░░░░░░░░ key states in the ░░░░░░░░ because there is a ░░░░░░░░ of diversity now I ░░░░░░░░ remember when I ran ░░░░░░░░ State Senate I was ░░░░░░░░ first latina there Now ░░░░░░░░ have more there We ░░░░░░░░ more people representing us ░░░░░░░░ the House of Representatives ░░░░░░░░ are latinos and latinas ░░░░░░░░ I just have a ░░░░░░░░ of faith and optimism ░░░░░░░░ there s going to ░░░░░░░░ more opportunities for us ░░░░░░░░ I certainly look forward ░░░░░░░░ going back home and ░░░░░░░░ those LLENAS It is ░░░░░░░░ option SOLIS Yes it ░░░░░░░░ an option LLENAS People ░░░░░░░░ also said you could ░░░░░░░░ been Mayor of Los ░░░░░░░░ you could have been ░░░░░░░░ of California a long ░░░░░░░░ ago Why didn t ░░░░░░░░ decide to go that ░░░░░░░░ And I guess as ░░░░░░░░ ve been discussing the ░░░░░░░░ are still open aren ░░░░░░░░ they SOLIS I take ░░░░░░░░ very seriously in terms ░░░░░░░░ the role that I ░░░░░░░░ to play and I ░░░░░░░░ always kept very close ░░░░░░░░ my community and the ░░░░░░░░ that I represented not ░░░░░░░░ in the Senate but ░░░░░░░░ the Congress is home ░░░░░░░░ look very favorably on ░░░░░░░░ people and the needs ░░░░░░░░ still exist there in ░░░░░░░░ ways if I can ░░░░░░░░ effective in helping to ░░░░░░░░ lives there as I ░░░░░░░░ tried to and demonstrated ░░░░░░░░ many other capacities then ░░░░░░░░ s where I d ░░░░░░░░ to go But I ░░░░░░░░ want to share what ░░░░░░░░ know be able to ░░░░░░░░ and and give incentives ░░░░░░░░ help to mentor and ░░░░░░░░ for other young people ░░░░░░░░ latinas and latinos to ░░░░░░░░ that these positions are ░░░░░░░░ to them But they ░░░░░░░░ got to work at ░░░░░░░░ There s a lot ░░░░░░░░ sacrifice that goes with ░░░░░░░░ but people need to ░░░░░░░░ that there are opportunities ░░░░░░░░ people want them to ░░░░░░░░ So now is the ░░░░░░░░ for us to get ░░░░░░░░ those folks motivated And ░░░░░░░░ see my role as ░░░░░░░░ to fulfill that LLENAS ░░░░░░░░ or not you may ░░░░░░░░ a position or not ░░░░░░░░ maybe one way that ░░░░░░░░ could precede it it ░░░░░░░░ that you are open ░░░░░░░░ all possibilities is what ░░░░░░░░ re gathering from this.”