i am pleased to introduce judge chen, a graduate of the university of california at berkeley and also the law school at berkeley. he was appointed a federal magistrate for the northern district of california in april of 2001. after clerking for a district judge and court of appeals judge, judge chen practiced as a litigation associate. in 1985, he joined the american civil liberties union foundation of northern california. he worked on a wide range of issues including free speech, employs privacy rights, police misconduct, and discrimination. in august of 2009, he was nominated by president obama's to the u.s. district court.

on may 10, 2011, he was confirmed by the u.s. senate as a district judge. he told me a few minutes ago he gets the last word after his college roommate. please join me in welcoming our dragon judge, judge chen. [applause] >> thank you, steve. it is an honor to be here. it is a double honor to follow the mayor. i have never had the mayor as my opening act. [laughter] i really am pleased to be here. mayor lee is right. we go way back. we have known each other for 37 years. the mayor is only about 48. [laughter] we do have a lot in common.

maybe that is why i was chosen to come after the mayor. they say two heads are better than one. we're both in dragons. we're both water dragons. this is the year of the water dragon, every 12 years. you can kind of gas how old the mayor is. [laughter] if you subtract 24 from that, you will get my age. [laughter] not only do we share the name ed, we have parents coming from the same part of china. we went to the same law school. we share the same address for a brief period of time. we worked in many of these same agencies. we both have beautiful wives who have been very supportive, a great kids, and both of us are really good looking. [laughter] for those of you who have some doubt about the chinese zodiac

and horoscope system, let me read you this description of the water dragon to see how well it fits the mayor and me. the water element focuses on other's well-being rather than their own. they are often more diplomatic and intuitive. they seek out positions that focus on correcting social problems. what better description for our mayor? there's also a list of characteristics associated with water dragons. innovative, enterprising, eclectic, self-assured, passionate, surely not conceited, quick-tempered, and talk to us. [laughter] -- tactless. [laughter] we will skip those.

not only is this a beautiful work of art at an important date and time of our life, but it symbolizes something really important. that is the diversity of this nation. to have a stand that celebrates the lunar new year with more to come really sends a message that the chinese-american community is part of america and that all of our cultures are important. as a kid growing up in the bay area, the postal service has played an important role in our community. everybody knows somebody who has worked for the postal service. the postal service has been one of the most important employers of minorities throughout its history. i remember as a young child one

public neater we could look to was postmaster lee. [applause] that was the most important role model we had. we did not have a mayor, board of supervisors president, people on the board of education. but we had somebody we could look to. i want to thank the postal service for playing a leadership role in making sure diversity is an important part of our country. [applause] >> for the dedication, it is my pleasure to introduce the vice- president for sales at the u.s. postal service. he was named vice president of sales in august of 2001. he oversees the sales and service organization focused on serving the needs of all commercial mailers and businesses. please welcome him to begin the

dedication of the stamp. [applause] >> thank you. good morning. happy new year. i am pleased to be here joining you and thousands of people around the world in celebrating lunar new year. the u.s. postal service work force is one of the most diverse in america. that is by design. we serve the most diverse customers on the face of the era. nearly 40% of our employees are minorities. of those, nearly 9% are asian- american or pacific islanders. we are extremely proud of our inclusive environment that respects the uniqueness of every individual and encourages the contributions of people from different cultures, backgrounds, experiences. diversity is one of our biggest pluses as an employer.

the postal service issued its first service of lunar new year stamps through 2004. in 2008, we introduced a new series of stamps commemorating lunar new year. since then, we have probably pay tribute to the year of the rat, the year of the ox, me, the year of the tiger, and the year of the rabbit. we're pleas stamp for the year f the dragon to the popular series. according to one chinese legend, all of the animals of the kingdom were invited to a meeting but only 12 showed up. as a reward, he gave each animal a year of his own. the dragon is the fifth of 12 animals associated with the chinese lunar calendar. of the 12, is perhaps the most

potent and recognizable in images and mystic tales. it has been said that people born during the lunar new year tend to of the traits of the animal feature during that year. individuals born during the year of the dragon are said to be brave, passionate, innovative, enterprising, and self- confident. these same qualities can be found throughout the postal service, one of our nation's oldest public service institutions that continues to be a vital interest to the gateway to american households. it was created more than 235 years ago. it delivers messages, merchandise, and money everywhere, every day. it is a service that the american public relies on. the postal service also issues stamps that help to keep the mail moving and facilitate communication and commerce in

america. oftentimes these stamps are referred to as our nations calling cards. that is why they're so important -- it is so important that they reflect our rich culture and heritage. that is what the lunar new year is all about. if you combined every holiday tradition, decoration, food, prayers, and blessings, you might begin to understand what happens during the day when people of chinese, korean, vietnamese, tibetan, and mongolian heritages around the world celebrate the lunar new year. it is also celebrated with parties and parades where skilled teams of dancers to let the crowds with their portrayals of dragons. to those who celebrate lunar new year, dragons are not scary monsters to be feared. they are regarded as magical or the wind, welcome symbols of the new hope in the new year.

if you look at the colorful creatures depicted on the new stamps, you will see the magical and divine adjectives are excellent ways to describe this beast. by combining original artwork with elements from the previous series, clarence lee's intricate paper cutter and calligraphy, the art director has created a culturally rich stamp that celebrates the diversity of the american experience. you did such a great job on the stamp. please stand. [applause] we hope the year will bring the best to all of us, no matter what sign we were born under a. the year of the dragon begins today and ends on february 9,

2013. if you purchase the stamps today, they will be good for first class mail postage forever. they'll be good anytime from today forward and no matter the price in the future. on behalf of the united states postal service and all of its employees, and like to invite mayor lee and the program participants to join me in dedicating the year of the dragon stand as we unveil the design, i would like to receive to view -- wish each of you good health and happiness in the year of the dragon. ♪ [applause]

>> thank you for that

dedication. it is a beautiful stamp. [applause] now we are in for a special treat. we have with us a beautiful performer, jasmine lee, to perform a beautiful rhythm dance. we have some speakers who will make some brief remarks. the next speaker is the president of the chinese chamber of commerce. [applause] >> my name is tony fong, president of the chinese chamber of commerce. i had no idea i would be on stage with mayor lee and

[inaudible] welcome. the chinese chamber of commerce has a long history. we're not only famous for the parade but we have done many things. in the president of the chinese chamber is an honor. i have been waiting for this job for over 200 years. it is my first term and may be my last term. anyway, we wish everyone happy chinese new year. the year of the dragon means power, prosperity, and happiness. power can be rightfully used or wrongfully used.

if wrongfully used, it can mean disaster. today i am not wasting a minute of power. i do wish him good health. thank you very much. thank you for coming. [applause] >> thank you, tony. our next speaker is mr. thomas ing of the chinese benevolent association. [applause] >> good morning. i am delighted to be here representing the chinese consolidated benevolent

association on the occasion of the first issue of the commemorative stamp for the year of the dragon. according to some of my reading, this year's dragon will bring prosperity, good fortune, good health, and if you get married this year, you will have a beautiful wedding and love and happiness will always be there for you. best wishes. thank you. [applause] >> now it is my pleasure to introduce mr. clifford yates from the organization of chinese americans. [applause]

>> good morning. on behalf of oca, dedicated to advancing the well-being of asian pacific americans, we're pleased to announce the stamp by the postal service. oca is proud to be an organization that has helped to launch this program for 20 years. this commemorative stamp program has been a wonderful opportunity to promote our social heritage. we look forward to doing that in the future. unlike true knowledge of those who designed the stamp and a part of the -- i would like to acknowledge those who designed the stamp and are part of the program. [applause] the year of the dragons symbolizes freedom, ambition, and passion. we anticipate this lunar new year to be full of innovation

and success for the work we continue to do. i am happy to extend the warmest wishes on behalf of the five chapters in northern california and wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. [applause] >> thank you, clifford. our final speaker is claudine chang. please welcome claudine chang. [applause] >> [speaking foreign language] [applause]

before i start my closing remarks, i would like to welcome someone who has always been at our new year ceremony. thank you very much. [applause] we are in the second series of this celebrating lunar series. you can buy all of the series from 1992 until 2004 around the country. we're so proud we now have the second series coming for the next 10 years. i would also like to take this occasion to think about one person who came up with this idea of what i and many other people have worked on the program.

this was the idea of an oca member in atlanta, georgia. they wanted to do something to celebrate our chinese-american heritage. i would like to take this opportunity to say thank you and celebrate with the idea of one person can do. [applause] we have talked about what the dragon means. both are very auspicious symbols on the chinese calendar. when we think about water, we think about economic vitality. when we think about dragons, we think about business. when i think about san francisco in the year 2012, we're so very lucky to have mayor lee. when you think about all the

forces coming into play, this is a year and the next quarter years we will have prosperity in our community. our city will be in a leadership position in the regional and world economy. they care very much, mayor lee. i look forward to working with you. -- thank you very much, mayor lee. i look forward to working with you. it takes a lot of people to put together. and may become a part-time employee of the postal service. i just want to thank the program for helping to distribute posters around town and in many other areas of the city and community.

my friend, sherman, many people have gone way beyond the call of duty. i just want to give them a round of applause. [applause] san francisco will always have a happy new year. i look forward to seeing everyone next year. [applause] >> thank you, claudine. that concludes our stamp ceremony. on behalf of the postal service, i want to thank the mayor for joining us and our platform guests for participating in a

ceremony and for all of you for attending our lunar new year, year of the dragon commemoration. ♪

>> welcome to today's event. this is the 15th anniversary, celebrating the chinese lunar new year. the lunar new year is a 14-year cycle. this year is the year of the dragon. i would like to introduce and acknowledge some guests today. first off, mayor ed lee. [applause] police chief sur and the command staff of the police department. [applause] president of the board of supervisors, david chiu. [applause] server book -- supervisor eric

mar. [applause] police commissioner angela chan. [applause] president of the police commission, thomas mazuko. [applause] representing san francisco state, our host today, the program director, irena. [applause] i would be remiss if i did not mention in david chan, who really is the glue that put this all together. [applause] robert from the department of adult probation and parole. [applause] do we have a representative from the chinese chamber today? thank you for being here today. [applause]

>> testing, ok. thank you, everyone, for coming today. i am very enthusiastic about -- this microphone. [laughter] and about joining with all these people behind me, our board, our chief, our commissioners, all of our community partners. this is an opportunity as we begin the new lunar new year to signal a very important program that was adopted many years ago but that has been growing year after year. and that is a relationship with our community. i and lunar new year, what we have seen in the past is that, you know, things happen, some criminal activities might occur because of the prosperity and the success of the lunar new year, and we have had to always be reactive.

the chief and die and the commission, we know, working with community programs, and our family associations are also here, and the merchants, and if we are ahead of it, we will continue this fantastic record that our chief is really helping us do, and that is lower the crime rate. we have been successful. in fact, this year we are down 6% in our overall crime. and we want to keep it that way and keep the statistics from ever overwhelming us. one of the most important things that we can do in evens like this that last for a good amount of time is work with our public safety officers and all of their efforts in making sure that everyone is safe, they all enjoyed the prosperity this event offers, and that we be competent in the way that we carry this out. so i want to signal, with the support of our supervisors,

commissioners, and police officers on the ground -- there are many of them here but you will see them a lot. if anything, our officers enjoy our new year's here in san francisco. they enjoy being part of it. they also enjoy helping our residents, whether they're seniors, kids, or merchants in chinatown, to make sure that they enjoy every aspect of this. i know, working in the past in all the other positions that i have had, that sometimes people, particularly in the chinese community, consider something or they say that somebody is asking for some money and they asked for it or they actually probably did not use the word extort, but they did things that were not appropriate. and it was a hassle for people to report it. but, at the same time, what they did not realize, one thing leads to the other.

one incident leads to the other. suddenly, you have an accepted practice that is not acceptable to anybody. we want to make sure that does not happen. and it continues that there is a trust built with our police department, with community leaders on the ground that say no one is going to take advantage of a senior or of a kid who has a red envelope or the merchants who are just trying to enjoy and be prosperous like everyone else. that will not be tolerated. we will work very closely to make sure that the lunar new year ended attendees are enjoyed by the full list, by everybody, and no one takes advantage of the situation. i also recognize george gascón, our new district attorney. thank you for being here to help us celebrate this new year. we're here at the gate and chinatown. we are here to signal that our we are here to signal that our lunar year, the year of the