Fil-Ams running in US elections
LOS ANGELES – At least 12 Filipino-Americans are running for local office in Southern California, Southern Nevada and Arizona, according to records of the Philippine consulate here.
There could be others but only the 12 have been reported to the office of Los Angeles Consul General Adelio Cruz.
“Filipinos are upbeat over the elections. They are excited to vote and some are even running. They would like to participate and they would like to send out a strong voice in the (polls on Nov. 6),” Cruz told The STAR.
But Cruz said the number of Filipinos in the US who are politically active is much lower than their 3.5 million population.
“Majority of the Filipinos here are gainfully employed and most of them are not interested to run in
politics. I do welcome our Fil-Ams who are engaged in politics now and hopefully there will be a lot more,” he added.
Journalist Steve Angeles, in his Facebook page, said 14 more Filipino-Americans are running for mayor and councilors in Southern Carolina.
Ditas Yamane is running for National City mayor; Lorri Galloway for Anaheim mayor; Phil Bacerra for Santa Ana council; Mark Bartlett for Chula Vista council; Oz Buendia for Carson council; Jed Leano for Claremont council; Letty Lopez for West Covina council; Christina Mackey for Laguna Hills council; Mark Parades for Garden Grove council and Melissa Ramoso for Artesia council.
Seeking reelection are Tzeitel Paras-Caracci for Duarte council; Chris Cate for San Diego council; Victor Manalo for Artesia council and Elito Santarina for Carson council.
“It’s not based on name recall and even if you don’t have funding, they knock from door to door. They attend as many social events as they can and they promote their platform,” Cruz said.
“Filipinos in the US are looking forward to the polls,” said Perfecto Pascual, a retired medical technologist and toxicologist based in Florida.
Pascual has opted to vote in a polling precinct “to feel the mood of election day” although he can avail himself of early voting.
“I’m excited to vote so I can choose the leaders that I want. I’m a Democrat… because Democrats are for the poor while the Republicans are for the middle class,” said Pascual, who moved to the US 58 years ago.
According to Pascual’s wife Christy, many issues are at stake in this election so it is important for voters to exercise their right of suffrage.
One of these issues, she said, is the plan of the Trump administration to put a stop to “chain migration,” a process that allows Americans to help foreignborn relatives get US citizenship through sponsorship.
Dean Logan, registrar-recorder/country clerk here, said they are expecting a high voter turnout because of the “national narratives” surrounding the polls.
“I attribute the increase to the national narratives around the midterm polls – the impact in the political control of (the House) and the Senate,” he told foreign journalists participating in the International Reporting for the 2018 Midterm Elections in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Nevada.