Supervisors elected to city’s board add immigrant voices.
Two immigrant women will join the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in January, additions that will add a jolt of diversity to the city’s most powerful political body.
Connie Chan was born in Hong Kong and moved to San Francisco when she was 13, while Myrna Melgar lived in El Salvador until she was 12, when her family fled from the civil war. Both women are from communities that are underrepresented in Bay Area politics. But they are also part of a growing trend of women of color running for — and winning — office.
Chan will represent District One, an area that includes the Richmond. Melgar will take over District Seven, which includes the Inner Sunset, Parkmerced, Parkside, Lakeside and Forest Hill.
The Chronicle spoke to both about what it means to be an immigrant woman joining the board, and also how they plan to support the city’s Chinese American and Latino communities in San Francisco.
Here are edited excerpts from both interviews.
What was it like moving to a new country when you were younger, and growing up in an immigrant family in San Francisco?
Chan: My mom was a single mother raising two kids. She learned English and computer skills at City College, and that’s how she got her first job as an insurance claim processor at Chinese Hospital. I feel like people who grew up here often take knowing English for granted. At that time, there wasn’t a lot of translated materials around. As a public school student, who learned English as a teenager, I was really grateful
for all the teachers I had.
Melgar: We were well off in El Salvador; my dad was an engineer. And then we moved to this country, and life completely changed. The five of us — parents and three sisters — ended up living in a little studio off of Mission Street. Now I am a privileged woman, I live in a nice house and my kids have food. It’s a different reality than somebody who is, for example, exposing themselves to COVID19 by having to waitress on other people. But I have been there and understand the immigrant experience.
What does it mean to you to be a woman of color joining a board dominated by men?
Chan: When I look at the election results, I see that 13% of San Franciscans voted for Trump in 2020 compared to 9% in 2016. So as a firstgeneration immigrant woman, joining the board at this moment is important. I know we have a lot of work ahead of us, and a lot of challenges. We’re standing on the shoulders of many women before us on the board.
Melgar: The immigrant experience shapes how I see things that sometimes other people don’t see as readily or can’t relate to. I’m also the first woman to be a supervisor for District Seven. And you know, women also see things differently. I’m a mother of three. So when it comes to issues like child care, for example, I understand how important it is for our recovery during the pandemic.
How will your experience as an immigrant woman translate into your policy priorities?
Chan: What I am bringing to the table is an understanding that the Asian American community is not monolithic. It’s not enough just to translate our materials for city services, but it’s also important to have people understand how they are being impacted by city policies. People are busy and trying to survive, more so in this pandemic. So how do we make sure that we actually meet them where they are at?
Melgar: I am deeply committed to the rights of workers, particularly immigrant workers. I want there to be more transparency when it comes to hiring people in the city, like reports on who applied, who got the interview and who was hired. Small businesses are also a big entry point for immigrants, and we make it too difficult to operate one in San Francisco. I am a big believer in streamlining that process. There are also great disparities in terms of housing for immigrants and people of color. If I can do one thing in eight years, it would be to produce more coop housing in San Francisco.