Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry, a candidate in next year’s mayoral election, announced Oct. 31 that she has been endorsed by community leader Rose Ochi.
Calling Ochi “a truly great American,” Perry said in a statement, “Rose has dedicated her life to fighting for the underprivileged, underserved, and to improve community relations throughout our country.”
“Rose has faced enormous challenges from the age of 3 when her family was relocated to an internment camp in Arkansas, then forced into a secretarial tract in high school. She was determined to achieve academic success, became an attorney, civil rights activist and has served the public interest. At the local level she was the director of criminal justice under Mayor Tom Bradley and an L.A. police commissioner under Mayor (James) Hahn.
“Rose was also appointed to serve as the first Asian American assistant attorney general in the Clinton Administration. She was the driving force behind the effort to establish Manzanar as a National Historic Site and has inspired many to understand that no matter how great the challenge that a dedicated effort and hard work will yield the best results.”
“I am proud to endorse Jan Perry for mayor,” Ochi said. “Jan’s consummate dedication to the people of Los Angeles and her ability to make the impossible possible has transformed downtown Los Angeles from a neglected and underserved community into the economic engine of the region. She never lost her connection to the people she serves and has shown herself to be a dedicated public servant.
“The results of her hard work, from housing the homeless to job creation, extend from Little Tokyo to South Los Angeles. Our city needs a strong, fearless leader that will serve on behalf of all Angelenos. That leader is Jan Perry.”
Ochi currently serves as the executive director of the California Forensic Science Institute.