This is an interesting article on the dramatically changing face of New York's City Council: In Council, Minorities on Edge of Majority.
Twenty years ago, in 1989, minority groups had just become a majority of the city's population, but only 9 of the 35 members of City Council were black or Hispanic (and of course, no Asians). After elections 1991, the Council's composition became 40 percent minority.
When the Council held its last meeting of 2008, there were 51 districts and 25 black, Hispanic or Asian members. Now, after last week's primary vote, Hispanic and Asian members are poised to make up a majority for the first time when the new Council is sworn into office in January.
As of now, with one vacancy, the Council has 24 black, Hispanic and Asian members. Depending on how many of the other Democratic candidates elected last week are victorious in the November 3 general election, that number could climb as high as 28. You like that?
On a related note, Asian American voters overwhelmingly supported Asian American candidates in last week's Democratic primary, according to an exit poll conducted by the AALDEF in five city districts with large Asian American populations: Poll Finds Asians Overwhelmingly Backed Liu.
And on another related note, here's a New York Times story looking back at how Chinese Americans fought -- and won -- to have voting ballots translated into Chinese: Before Victories on Ballot, a Fight to Be Able to Read It.
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