An outstanding Chinese woman Zhu Mulan, mother of Elaine Lan Chao (Zhao Xiaolan), died of lymphoma on August 2£¬2007. Elaine L. Chao is the 24th Secretary of Labor of the United States Federal Government. She and her husband, Senator Mitch McConnell, were overcome with grief and knelt before their mother's coffin for a long time. At the funeral she said: "My name is Xiao Lan, originating from my mother's name. I am a part of her and I will inherit her blood and spirit till the end of my life."

Elaine Lan Chao[bufanler.blogspot.com]

Setting an Example Worthy of the President's Family

Chao was the first child of Zhu Mulan, and she was born in 1953 in Taipei, Taiwan, China. In 1961, Zhu and her daughters left Taiwan for the US.

Zhu ran the family following Chinese tradition, and she would set herself as an example for her daughters. Chao remembered that her mother taught them to live with dignity and strive for better things when we're alive. "When we face boys or anyone else, we will not show any impression of weakness. Mother let us clearly understand that we are from a respectable family and we should behave well and act with dignity," said Chao.

Zhu's successful family education was well-known and even reached President Bush's ears. Once, he told his wife to learn how to educate children successfully from Zhu when he had a meeting with Zhu's family.

Always Proud of Being a Chinese

Chao received a degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College, then went on to earn a master's degree in business administration at the Harvard Business School, which President Bush also attended. She deserved her parent's great expectations by her unremitting efforts, and became President George W. Bush's choice as secretary of labor in January 2001. The president thought she is highly able to handle the civil services, full of ardor and would help others build a better life. Chao's striving and success were considered as not only an honor for people with Asian origin in America, but a break from the thought that had developed over half of a century¡ª"Chinese cannot join the mainstream of America society."

Chao received a White House fellowship in 1983, and she is the only Asian-American of the 13 fellows. Three years later, she engaged in politics and took the post as deputy administrator of Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation. Since 1988, she has held the office as the chairman of Federal Maritime Commission and deputy secretary of Department of Transportation in succession. Chao was generally regarded as having coped effectively with the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the San Francisco earthquake, and traffic control in transportation by sea during the Gulf War. All these achievements were partly achieved because of her mother's personal examples and influence.

An exciting moment came seven years ago when President George W. Bush nominated Chao as secretary of labor, but it was also a time for sadness because Chao's mother was told she had cancer. Chao went to visit her sick mother at once, but Zhu said: "Aren't you on your post now? You take an important task, the nation and people need you."