According to the web site, the center "promotes the stability of low income and disadvantaged workers and their families by addressing issues that affect their ability to achieve self-sufficiency."

"By protecting the legitimate employment status of wage earners, we provide families the means to pull through adverse times, avoid the downward spiral caused by job loss, and be fully contributing members of society."

Enforcement

As the director of the Labor Department's office of compliance for federal contracts (OFCCP), it's Shiu's job to enforce Executive Order 11246 to ban employment discrimination by federal contractors.

A nonprofit organization, the 80-20 Education Foundation that advocates for equal rights in the workplace for Asian- Americans, has been lobbying Shiu to right the disparities under federal contracting laws for Asian-Americans. In a 2010 meeting, the group showed Shiu data compiled from government sources demonstrating that Asian-Americans have the lowest chance to rise to management of all minority groups. It also advertised that data in the Washington Post.

The group says that after a meeting, Shiu stated her commitment "to enforce Executive Order 11246 on behalf of all protected persons, including, but not limited to, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). OFCCP will broaden its enforcement efforts and focus on identifying and resolving both systemic and individual discrimination cases."

Show less