Sec. Hilda Solis

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...

For most people, Labor Day marks the end of summer or back to school and for many an election season. For me, Labor Day has always been what it was originally intended to be: A day to celebrate the contributions that working men and women have made to the strength...

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, I traveled there with other members of Congress. We flew in helicopters to survey entire neighborhoods submerged in dirty water. Those neighborhoods not underwater were abandoned. We toured the 9th Ward and saw the broken levees. Trash was everywhere. We visited hospitals jammed...

A Washington newspaper recently commissioned a survey that showed that Washington insiders are experiencing the effects of the recession far differently than regular people throughout the country. They found that relatively few Washington insiders have been affected by the recession, while the vast majority of Americans have felt the pain...

Yesterday marked the 75th anniversary of the National Labor Relations Act - also known as the Wagner Act - one of the lesser known, but key components of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. In addition to Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, a Federal minimum wage and laws regulating child...

A colleague of mine in the Obama administration sparked a political controversy about 15 years ago when she wrote about the impact a village can have in raising a child. While I'm sure many are disappointed that the politics guiding that debate remain much the same, there is little doubt...

In the past six weeks, I have made a number of trips to West Virginia to meet with the families of the 29 men who died at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Mine. Although there is nothing I can do to eliminate their pain and suffering, I can, as the...