By ELLEN ENDO, Rafu Shimpo
U.S. Rep. Judy Chu announced this week that she is endorsing former Los Angeles City Public Works Commissioner Jessica Caloza, the lone Asian Pacific Islander candidate for the California State Assembly’s 52nd District seat.
As commissioner, Caloza’s area of responsibility included Little Tokyo. She currently serves as an aide to State Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Chu, who chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), joins a cadre of 39 elected officials and community leaders who have also endorsed Caloza’s candidacy.
“The depth and breadth of Jessica’s experience as a long-time public servant and organizer underscores the fact that she will be able to hit the ground running on Day One in the State Assembly, so that she can fight for working families, more affordable housing, climate action, to fully fund public schools, and more,” said Chu.
For Caloza, the decision to run for public office is rooted in her family history. The youngest of six children, she immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines at an early age.
“My parents have been working-class their entire lives,” she said. “My mom started off working as a cashier at different gas stations, at the 99 Cents store, and then put herself through vocational school and retired as a nursing assistant. My dad started off as a janitor. He worked his way up and retired as a hospital orderly.”
Caloza became the first person in her family to graduate from college. Upon graduation from UC San Diego, she asked herself, “What do I want to do for my career? That was a question my parents never got to ask themselves … (but) for me, I wanted to serve. I wanted to be in government.”
Caloza added, “I saw how government changed lives. It changed my life, and I truly believe in the power of government to help people have a pathway to middle class.”
Her own pathway began as a policy advisor with Department of Education in the Obama Administration, focusing on adult learners. Reflecting, she feels that her focus on adult education stemmed from her parents’ experience.
“I wanted to work on this community of people that doesn’t get talked about when you say ‘education,’ which are the adults,” she explained. “How do we look at workforce training programs? We educate a lot of people, but we don’t actually help place people into jobs.”
She focused on pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship grant programs, job placement, and different initiatives promoting alternative pathways “because I don’t think college is for everybody.”
If elected, Caloza would be the first Filipina woman in the State Legislature.
The 52nd Assembly District includes parts of Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glendale, and Silver Lake. The field of candidates for the office includes Genesis Coronado, L.A. Unified School District legislative analyst; David Giron, policy advisor to L.A. City Councilmember Bob Blumfield; Justine Gonzalez, legislative aide to former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Ari Ruiz, aide to Rep. Maxine Waters; Jessica Maldonado, education advocate; and Carlos Leon. All are Democrats.
Among Japanese American elected officials who have joined the list of endorsers are Dr. Kelsey Iino, L.A. Community College trustee; Alhambra City Councilmember Jeffrey Koji Maloney; Mountain View City Councilmember Margaret Abe-Koga; El Camino College Trustee Trisha Murakawa; Cerritos City Councilmember Frank Aurelio Yokoyama; and former West Covina City Councilmember James Toma.
The incumbent is Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, who is retiring to run for the L.A. City Council District 14, the seat now held by Councilmember Kevin de León, which includes most of Downtown Los Angeles, Little Tokyo, and Boyle Heights.