When President Obama chose his first Secretary of Labor, he made a historic choice.

He chose Congresswoman Hilda Solis from California. She would become the first Latina to serve in the US cabinet.  Not only that, here was the daughter of a teamster and a factory worker being picked to head the U.S. Department of Labor.

Secretary Solis left the cabinet at the end of Obama’s first term. She returned home to California, the state where almost one third of all U.S. Latinos live. She is currently running for a seat on the board of county supervisors in Los Angeles.

Maria Hinojosa interviews former Secretary Solis as residents of LA county prepare to head to the polls.

Secretary Hilda L. Solis was confirmed as Secretary of Labor on February 24, 2009, becoming the first Latina to serve in the United States Cabinet. Solis represented the 32nd Congressional District in California, a position she held from 2001 to 2009. Solis graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images