3.08.2011

the first all-asian city council in the continental u.s.?

Could voters in Monterey Park, California elect the first all-Asian city council in the continental United States? Out of crowded field of eight candidates in today's election, five are Asian Americans. If three of them win the at-large election, it would be a moment for the history books: Monterey Park could elect first entirely Asian city council in continental US.
In the 1980s Monterey Park became home to the first predominantly Asian population on the mainland United States and was the first to elect a Chinese mayor. But it took more than a decade for the City Council to resemble the demographics of the city of 60,000. Now, another decade later, Asian Americans dominate the council with a presence greater than their actual numbers.

Neighboring cities in the western San Gabriel Valley have also undergone a subtler, and often overlooked, transformation to increased participation. Less than a decade ago, Alhambra, San Gabriel, and Rosemead already had populations that were about 50 percent Asian, but had yet to elect an Asian American to office. But since 2003 all three cities have elected Asian-American candidates, starting with the late Chi Mui in San Gabriel. In Alhambra, two out of five City Council members are Asian: Mayor Gary Yamauchi is the child of Japanese immigrants and Councilman Stephen Sham emigrated himself from mainland China.

Rosemead and San Gabriel have one and two Asians on their ballots, respectively. “We have a maturing immigrant population, especially here in the San Gabriel Valley,” said Philip Hu, a professor of English and one of two Chinese-American candidates running in a San Gabriel field of four. He attributes the shift to “more awareness, more engagement, more direct involvement.”
Even if it doesn't come to pass, this is still a pretty interesting political moment. San Francisco might be getting a lot of attention these days as a powerhouse for Asian Americans in politics, but if you want to see where some really fascinating voter/candidate trends are going down, keep your eyes on the San Gabriel Valley.

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