社評 1119 年會過後

年會過後

上週五我們慶祝了美南國際貿易中心二十年週年大會，包括趙小蘭部長、特納市長、格林議員、日本、韓國、印尼、安克拉等國之總領事及工商文化界近五百人出席這次盛會是我們畢生榮幸，更是我們華亞 裔社區向主流社會彰顯我們的實力及社會之貢獻。

認識趙小蘭部長已經是二十多年前的事了，以往她雖然貴為部長，不 論是交通部或勞工部任內，不但提攜許多華亞裔後進，而且每年在農 曆新年時大開派對慶祝，我們曾多次在華府參加盛會，她總是面帶笑容， 迎來各方人士，並耐心和數百位賓客合照，大家都以此為容賓主盡 歡，是華府每年一大盛事，此次她再度回到德州專程支持我們，勉勵我 們，心中萬分感激，最重要的是趙部長在美國登上主流最高峯，是我們華亞裔之表率。

我們和特納市長相識也已經有十年之久，在他任內從不在我們每年新年游園會上缺席，他對我們國際區及華亞裔十分關心，當然過去多年來，我們國際區已成為休斯敦之經濟示範區他在年會上對貿易中心及 國際區大加表揚，我們是由哀之感謝和感動。

回想過去數十年的辛酸歲月，我們在這塊土地上锲而不捨之奮鬥，能為社區貢獻簿力，也是萬分之榮幸。

我們要再次感激近五百位參加年會的各界賓客和好友，你們給予之溫 暖將永遠牢記心坎。

                                                                                      After The ITC Gala 

 The International Trade Center’s twenty-year anniversary Gala was held last Friday in Houston Texas. Almost five hundred honored guests attended our party, especially our Honorable Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, who traveled from Washington, D.C., to attend the event. Also our Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congressman Al Green and many diplomats, including those from Japan, Korea, Angola and Indonesia -- leaders from many communities came together and gave us many warm messages of support.

We have known Secretary Chao for over twenty-five years, even before she was Secretary of Labor and Transportation. She always celebrated the Lunar New Year at her office and invited many Asian leaders to attend. I was very lucky and was one of them. I remember that she had photos taken with all of us on those occasions and took hours to include everyone. Secretary Chao is really our role model and an outstanding leader in our community and in the nation. She came to join our Gala and made us all so very proud.

Houston’s Mayor Turner has been with us for over the last ten years. He would never miss our annual Lunar New Year Festival, and he always brought us his congratulatory message.

Now that the Gala celebration is over, we are so touched and honored to have had so many good friends who came to support us.

We will continue to work at the International Trade Center to build it up like a battleship and continue to be of service to all and continue to move forward.