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. ♪