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In this Census Feature: Around America: Rise in Minority Numbers California: Diverse, but Still Segregated San Francisco: Major Trends Daly City: Finding Comfort Milpitas: Living Near Tech Central Monterey Park: Ground Zero in API Growth Boom

Finding Comfort in Daly City

By Ji Hyun Lim

At the popular Serramonte Mall in Daly City, the new demographics of the 21st century are clearly visible. Most of the people leisurely strolling along the wide, tiled aisles of Daly City’s largest shopping destination are of Chinese or Filipino descent. Although non-Asian faces are sprinkled amongst the crowd, Serramonte is a snapshot of this diverse community as a whole.

According to the recent Census update, Asian and Pacific Islanders make up 51.6 percent of the population. This number makes Daly City one of the first cities in Northern California where Asian Americans are the majority.

Patricia Martel, assistant city manager of Daly City, reports that 52,154 people who live in Daly City identified as Asian, while 940 identified as Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders.

Despite API numbers, there is a lack of representation in the local municipal government. Michael Guingona, the sole elected Asian American in Daly City, was the first Filipino American as a council member and mayor of the city. He is currently vice mayor.

“The Filipino population was instrumental in having him elected,” Martel says.

She adds, “Whether that will translate to additional Filipino Americans in office, I don’t know. It’s possible.”

According to Martel’s research on the Census and political activity among the Asian American community, those who participated in the Census tend to be more politically active. But Martel confirms that despite outreach efforts, there is still an undercount, particularly in the disenfranchised immigrant population.

“We estimate our entire population to be closer to 110,000 versus the 103,000 who were counted,” Martel says.

Vice Mayor Guingona hopes that his visible presence in public office will encourage more Asian Americans to participate in politics and government.

“Although it’s not the most popular thing to [be in public office], it is one of the most rewarding,” Guingona says.

Guingona’s family has been living in Daly City since 1964. He claims that there is a real ethnic feel to the community.

“When I walk around Serramonte — there’s a lot of Filipinos,” Guingona says. “When I have community meetings, shop, get my laundry done, everything. It’s a very Filipino and Asian town.”

Guingona pointed out that Asian American families can attend Catholic mass in Tagalog, or Baptist services in Chinese or Korean.

“The idea of assimilation — it’s a softer landing nowadays,” Guingona says.

Guingona praised the early immigrants, who he refers to as “gutsy pioneers,” who helped settle places like Daly City.

“It allows new immigrants to have a sense of living and working in America while enjoying the comforts of the motherland,” Guingona says.

Retired Daly City resident Jose Antonio was having coffee with friends at the Serramonte mall, a regular outing for him. Antonio, a Filipino American who has lived in Daly City for 15 years, enjoys the convenient location of the city, especially its proximity to San Francisco. He also likes the city’s openness to new immigrants.

“We [my family] like the system here and we love the city. Caucasians are scarce around here lately. If they join us, they’re perfectly welcome,” Antonio says.