Wilma Chan Announces Assembly Bid
Chinese Americans need a presence, says Alameda County chief supervisor
By Perla Ni

Stressing heavily her commitment to Chinese Americans, Alameda County Board of Supervisors President Wilma Chan on Thursday officially announced her bid to unseat Green Party member Audie Bock in the 16th Assembly next year.

“We need to elect more Chinese Americans on a state level,” said Chan, who became the first Asian American elected to the board in 1994. “There are many Chinese American politicians on the local level -- that’s a very positive trend we’ve seen in the last 10 years, but we need Chinese Americans in the California Legislature.”

If the Assembly’s makeup reflected that of the population, she said, nine seats would now be held by Asian Americans. They hold only two, and Chinese Americans hold none. (Democrats George Nakano of Torrance and Mike Honda of San Jose are of Japanese descent.)

The lack of Chinese American representation rankles Chan, who said, “We have [Gov.] David Locke in Washington state and [U.S. Rep.] David Wu in Oregon, but there are no Chinese Americans in the California Assembly. There are a lot of issues that need to be voiced.”

For example, she said, Gov. Gray Davis’ decision not to give new immigrants food stamps demonstrates the need for an Asian American voice in Sacramento. “They need to have someone in the Legislature to take issues forward.”

She said she hopes to raise $100,000 by the end of the month and at least $300,000 by next March’s primary. Saying she has gotten much encouragement from Chinese American groups, Chan urged them and others to do more. “These races are expensive to run. People have to understand that in addition to come out and volunteer, they also need to support them financially as well.”

Chan, a Democrat, is expected to face off against Bock, whose surprise victory over former Oakland mayor Elihu Harris made headlines nationwide. Harris, also a Democrat, has declared that he intends to run for the Assembly seat, too.

Though she supported Harris in March, Chan last week said his intentions wouldn’t sway her decision. “He had his opportunity to run. His time has passed,” she said.

Chan brings a formidable record to the table. A 25-year Bay Area resident, she headed the Board of Education before becoming a supervisor. A native of Boston, Chan, 49, of Alameda is a graduate of Wellesley College and holds a master’s degree in policy administration from Stanford University.

Also, Democrats outnumber Greens in the district 49 to 1, but Bock isn’t backing down.

“I’m very pleased that I’m being treated like a one-term candidate, because I can stumble and be forgiven,” the Asian film scholar told the Associated Press. “I want the major parties to continue to think that I am a one-term candidate.”

Though Bock more vigorously advocates for strong environmental protections and mass transit, her platform in many ways parallels Chan’s. Both say public education is a top priority. So too, they say, is accessible health care for everyone.

“These are complicated issues; I know them well,” said Chan, who has a daughter at UC Davis, a son in eighth grade and a husband who teaches in the public schools.

She suggested that incentives be offered to college students to pursue careers in education, saying, “We have to attract good teachers.” Perceived low status and top-down administrative problems have plagued schools nationwide, including in Oakland, where Superintendent Carole Quan this spring announced her resignation.

“I think she came in at a tough time,” Chan said. “There were long-standing problems, and there was a shortage of teachers. Given the circumstances, she did a good job.”

Chan also stressed better health care, citing her role in expanding health clinics’ hours and in financing and renovating Oakland’s Highland Hospital, which serves mostly uninsured patients. Having a better system in place, she said, is imperative as the population ages and becomes more diverse.

“As you know, tuberculosis is coming back -- we thought we had it licked,” Chan said. Cases of the disease, though lower statewide in 1998 than in 1997, have been on an upswing nationwide -- partly due to the presence of a newer disease, AIDS, which compromises patients’ immune systems.

Changing demographics also means the state must get ready for a huge increase in the number of over-65 residents over the next few decades, she said.

“The population of elderly will double within 25 years in Alameda County,” Chan pointed out. “We’ll need to provide services or nursing homes. The population is aging, there are not enough services, and we can deliver the existing services better.”

Chan, along with other local officials, is urging Davis to include $90 million in the next state budget for home-care workers.

The way that the 16th District can move toward that, she maintained, is by electing her next year. “I’m the best person for the seat, she declared. “I know the district and how to solve real problems. It’s important to know the issues from the ground up and not just have ideas.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.