Little Tokyo and Japanese American community members attended a get-out-the-vote event for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra with Asian American and Pacific Islander supporters, elected officials and organizational leaders in San Gabriel Valley on May 24.
“I support Xavier Becerra for governor of California because of my long relationship with him, ever since he represented Little Tokyo as a congressman in the 1990s,” said Bill Watanabe, founding executive director of the Little Tokyo Service Center. “He supported Little Tokyo Service Center and attended our community events. He came to the Day of Remembrance programs multiple times and spoke eloquently and with passion about civil rights and protecting those who are vulnerable and in need.
“He has the integrity, character and the kind of values we need in a leader for our great state!”
“I met Assemblyman Xavier Becerra in 1993 fighting against Prop 187, [which was] denying education and health services for undocumented persons,” said Miya Iwataki, founding member of National Coalition for Redress/Reparations (now known as Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress). “He was a strong advocate for Japanese American redress and reparations, and when elected to Congress he sponsored legislation with Sen. Daniel Inouye for Japanese Latin Americans who did not receive redress. He is a friend to Little Tokyo and the AAPI community, and was honored at our Day of Remembrance.
“Gov. Xavier Becerra would bring a wealth of Cabinet-level and legislative knowledge from both national and state levels. He will continue to challenge Trump’s policies and defend the rights of communities. He is the governor California needs now!”
Other supporters in attendance included William T. Fujioka, Audrey Noda, Wes Tanaka, Amy Watanabe, Darlene Kuba, Mark Masaoka and Tamlyn Tomita, chair of CAPA21, an Asian Pacific American political action committee.
Becerra, 68, served in the State Assembly from 1990 to 1992, the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2017, as California attorney general from 2017 to 2021, and as U.S. secretary of health and human services from 2021 to 2025.
His endorsers include Reps. Judy Chu, Ted Lieu and Mark Takano; Assemblymembers Mike Fong, Stephanie Nguyen and Darshana Patel; San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu; Alhambra Mayor Jeffrey Koji Maloney; San Carlos Mayor Pranita Venkatesh; former Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang; Diamond Bar City Councilmember Stan Liu; La Mesa City Councilmember Genevieve Suzuki; Pasadena City College Trustee Ryan Liu; Jefferson Union High School district Board Trustee/Clerk Andrew Lie; San Mateo-Foster City School District Board Trustee Gene Kim.
The other Democratic gubernatorial candidates are San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Rep. Katie Porter, environmental advocate and investor Tom Steyer, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The Republican candidates are former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.