Feature | Vibe

Daughter of China returns

By Liang Yiwen | 2009-10-25 | NEWSPAPER EDITION

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Former United States Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and her father Dr James S.C. Chao show the words of appreciation she wrote to Shanghai Jiao Tong University at a ceremony in August 2008 when she delivered a speech on campus.

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The title of the keynote speech given by former United States Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, in Shanghai recently -- "Chinese Heart, American Mind and Global Dream" -- said as much about the woman as it did about the nature of her talk.

A Chinese immigrant, Chao was the first Asian American woman in history to be appointed to a US President's cabinet, serving as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor from 2001.

Since leaving office at the start of this year, Chao has channelled her understanding of Western and Asian cultures into promoting the Sino-US relationship.

"I am a product of the two cultures," she told about 600 Fudan University students and teachers last week when she visited the school.

Chao's visit was organized for her investiture as an honorary professor of the prestigious Chinese university and she took the opportunity to deliver an inspiring speech in full academic regalia.

Though the lecture hall had only 400 seats, the aisles and doorways were packed with fans eager to hear what she had to say.

"She has not forgotten her Chinese roots," said Deng Feng, a school staff member and audience member.

The stylish Chao walked into the hall on the arm of her beloved father and waved her hand toward the students in a confident smile.

They were inspired by her grace and dignity and greeted her with a warm and enthusiastic applause.

"I'm very lucky I come from a wonderful family," she said in a speech which focused a lot on family values.

Despite her significant achievements, Chao remains modest and attributed her success to her parents' love and rigorous education.

She comes from a family of six daughters, each very successful in their different fields. All graduated from prestigious universities and four were from Harvard, including Chao.

Chao's mother and father are typical Chinese parents practicing determination, diligence and sacrifice. They taught their daughters Chinese philosophy and values which enabled them to advance as a family and even triumph in a foreign land.

Chao's father James Chao was born in a small, rural farming village in Shanghai's Jiading District and her mother Ruth Mulan Chu was born into an affluent family in Anhui Province. They married in Taiwan where Chao (1953) and two other sisters were born. The family moved to the United States when Chao was eight years old.

"As you may imagine, our initial years in America were very difficult," Chao said.

When they first landed in America, the family of five lived in a small one-bedroom apartment.

They didn't speak English, couldn't eat American food, and didn't understand American culture or traditions.

"At that time, people of Asian descent comprised less than 1 percent of America's entire population," Chao said.

"I am a product of the two cultures. I'm very lucky I come from a wonderful family."

They had no relatives or nearby friends and were often the first, or only, Asians many Americans had met.

When Chao went to school for the first time, she bowed at teachers to show respect in the Chinese tradition. But her classmates scorned her as a foreigner because they couldn't understand her behavior.

Similar culture shocks were common. But half a century later, the family has successfully moved up the rungs of acceptance and into the mainstream.

Chao's father eventually founded his own shipping company, called Foremost, to freight goods between the United States and Taiwan. Her mother acquired a master's degree in the US in her 50s and all six daughters excelled in different fields.

"Throughout the period of great difficulty, my parents always maintained their optimism and confidence that a better tomorrow awaited us," Chao said. "I was always positive."

"Though we had little money, we possessed life's most precious asset -- hope! Hope for a better future which enabled us to sustain and eventually overcome our adversities."