The glass ceiling still keeps many women from reaching the top echelons of business or government. But it's something that Labor Secretary Hilda Solis hasn't experienced herself. The 54-year-old former lawmaker, the first Latina to become a Cabinet secretary, knows firsthand that women can overcome barriers. She was born into a large family of limited means in Southern California, the daughter of a Mexican father and a Nicaraguan mother with less than sixth-grade educations. She was expected to seek a secretarial or clerical job, but, encouraged by a high school counselor, became the first in her family to attend college. After graduating from California State Polytechnic University, she earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of Southern California.
Solis arrived in Washington in 1980, as the federal government was seeking to hire more women. She reached out to Hispanics on behalf of President Carter and worked as a policy analyst in the Office of Management and Budget. Then she returned to California and launched a political career, climbing from a community college's board of trustees to a state Assembly seat before becoming the first Hispanic woman elected to the state Senate in 1994.
Outspoken on labor and environmental issues, she ran for Congress in 2000 as an unwavering liberal and trounced the incumbent, Matthew Martinez, in a Democratic primary. As Solis learned the ropes in what she recalls as "a very male-oriented" Congress, her affability masked her toughness. She drew close to Nancy Pelosi, a sister Californian who became the first female House speaker. Labor unions have approved of her Cabinet performance, though their leaders grumble privately about her lack of influence on President Obama's economic policies. Edited excerpts from an interview follow. READ MORE
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