Speak for yourself: Ethnic chambers of commerce create a voice for minority businesses.

• Author: King, Heather L.
• Position: Business Trends

Eunice Jones arrived in the United States from the Philippines with two children and a suitcase. By 1999, she had become a successful real estate broker and in 2003, she and her husband opened Re/Max Canyons in Salt Lake City, which recently joined with Re/Max Advantage to form one of the largest Re/Max offices in the state of Utah.

Today, with 13 years experience in the real estate industry and more than 30 real estate agents in her office, Jones was named Broker Owner of the Year by Re/Max International in 2005.

Jones' dedication, persistence and work ethic helped her become the respected business woman she is today.

She is the president of the Salt Lake Chapter of Women's Council of Realtors, sits on the board of the Asian Advisory Council for the State Office of Ethnic Affairs and the Asian Association of Utah, founded the Utah Alliance of Filipino Communities and helped found and then served as the first president of the Utah Asian Chamber of Commerce. "She is very community-oriented even though she is very successful in her business. She is not afraid to give back," says ZeMin Xiao, current president of the Utah Asian Chamber of Commerce. "She's a great example for those of us that are just coming along."

On October 6, 2005, Governor Jon Huntsman signed an executive order officially creating the new State Office of Ethnic Affairs and four ethnic advisory councils--Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino and Pacific Islander. Following the office designation, each group eventually formed its own chamber of commerce to support and promote businesses and professionals who represent their respective cultures.

"The issues that the different ethnicities deal with is a big enough difference that we need our own organizations to keep us together," says Xiao, President of the Utah Asian Chamber of Commerce (representing Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Filipino, and others).

Xiao explains, "Asians...are very entrepreneurial. Everywhere you go you tend to see them opening little mom-and-pop businesses to provide a good future for their children."

On the other hand, business ownership to Pacific Islanders is uncommon and therefore more basic training is needed. Ben Au, Chairman of the Board for Utah's Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce (representing Hawaiian, Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, Maori and others) as the newest of the ethnic chambers of commerce, states, "This is a new thing for Pacific Islanders. So far we have tried to provide...