Celebrating AA and NHPI Heritage Month in Florida

Venus Hiu Ching Lai and Zachary Leung are Wage and Hour Division investigators who work in the Orlando District Office in Florida. We talked to them recently to learn about their careers and find out what Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month means to them.

Q: How long have you been Wage and Hour Division investigators?

Venus: I’ve been an investigator since December 2022.

Zachary: I’ve been working for the Wage and Hour Division as an investigator for almost two years.

Q: Why did you want to work for this agency?

Venus: I believe helping workers by enforcing labor laws makes a positive contribution to society.

Zachary: I wanted to work for this agency because I believe everyone’s hard work should be treated equally regardless of age, gender or race. I find this job meaningful, and I enjoy using my knowledge and skills to contribute to Florida communities.

Q: What are you most proud of in your career so far?

Venus: My greatest accomplishment is helping employees obtain their hard-earned wages for unpaid overtime hours. The back wages help employees’ families improve their standard of living, which is very meaningful to me.

Zachary: I’m proud to play a role in an agency that works hard to ensure employers are complying with labor laws. We make a real impact on workers’ lives.

Q: What is it like being Asian American at the Wage and Hour Division? What would you like to see more of in the future?

Venus: As an Asian American, I can assist my colleagues by interpreting interviews and contributing to complex investigations using my language skills.

I’d like to see more Asian Americans join this agency in the future to help conduct outreach activities in Asian American communities.

Zachary: As an Asian American, I feel proud to be part of the Wage and Hour Division’s team in Florida because my language skills are important. Many hard-working people here don’t speak English and helping them by breaking the language barrier is great.

I’d like to see greater diversity among our investigators in the future because it could improve communications and understanding between our staff and the employers and workers we meet in our investigations.

Q: Who inspires you to do your work as an investigator?

Venus: My supervisor, fellow investigators and the technicians in my office inspire me to do my work. They always help and encourage me whenever I have questions or need assistance.

Zachary: The workers we help inspire me to work harder because I can see how our work changes their lives, especially when they receive back wages from our investigations.

Q: What does Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you?

Venus: AA and NHPI Heritage Month is a time to honor the rich cultural heritage and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. I celebrate by participating in community events, educating myself about their histories and supporting Asian American and NHPI-owned businesses.

Zachary: AA and NHPI Heritage Month is a reminder that there are still so many workers who do not speak English and they need our help. Instead of only celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage this month, I like to provide education and outreach year-round so that more workers in our community know about the Wage and Hour Division and understand their rights.

#AANHPI #AANHPIHeritageMonth #Diversity #PublicService