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Boston Elects Sam
Yoon as 1st Asian American Councilor
By Adam Smith, Sampan
Nov. 8, 2005 - Residents of Boston elected the city's
first Asian American city councilor yesterday when they chose
Korean-born Sam Yoon as their third choice for city councilor at-large.
Yoon came in behind incumbents Michael Flaherty and Felix Arroyo and
ahead of incumbent Stephen Murphy.
At-large councilors represent the entire city, while district councilors
represent specific districts. There are 13 total councilors and four
at-large councilors.
Yoon, who has lived in Dorchester for about two years, has worked in
Chinatown advocating for affordable housing at the Asian Community
Development Corporation. He is also a former New Jersey school teacher
and holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University.
In Ward 3, Precinct 8, where many Chinatown residents vote, Yoon was the
top choice for at-large councilor, grabbing 507 of 768 votes.
“I think he has contributed… to the Chinese community,” said Ms. Tan, a
Chinatown resident after voting, of Sam Yoon.
Several others who exited the Ward 3, Precinct 8 polling site also said
they voted for Yoon, such as Mr. Lum, a Chinese immigrant, who said he
voted for Yoon simply because he is Asian.
At the Ward 3, Precinct 8 polling site at the Josiah Quincy School, a
total of 768 of 2,303 registered voters cast ballots. Some residents
were newcomers from China who were voting for the first time, such as
Ms. Pang.
Pang, who came to the U.S. from China seven years ago and became a
citizen this year, said she wanted to fulfill her civic duty and pick
out the right people to represent the Chinatown community.
Lydia Lowe of the Chinese Progressive Association, which tries to
increase voter participation in Chinatown, said last night that turnout
appeared strong in the neighborhood.
“This precinct is so busy,” said Lowe. “That’s good for Chinatown.”
Lowe, however, noted that it's likely many voters are also new Chinatown
residents who moved into newly developed high rises such as the luxury
Millennium towers and the newly constructed Metropolitan.
As for other citywide election results, Mayor Thomas M. Menino held onto
his position as mayor and will begin his fourth term. Maura Hennigan,
who was trying to wrestle power from Menino, took 32% of the vote
citywide, while Menino grabbed nearly 68%.
Many viewed this election as important for Chinatown because Yoon was
the first Asian American to run for city council. But it also had other
significance for the community. Chinatown’s district councilor, Jim
Kelly, who has for nearly a quarter century represented district 2, was
challenged by a strong newcomer Susan Passoni. Also, this was the first
Boston election besides the September preliminary race, to occur after a
voting rights settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and the
City of Boston.
Passoni campaigned for a part of election day outside
the Josiah Quincy School. “I door knocked the whole district,” she said
yesterday afternoon. “I feel really good.” Though she won Chinatown’s
vote over Kelly, she didn’t win the whole district, which includes parts
of the South End and South Boston. She took away 39% of the vote while
Kelly won with 61%.
The U. S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against
the City of Boston in July, accusing Boston's government of
discriminating against voting citizens of Spanish, Chinese and
Vietnamese descent and violating the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The City of Boston and the D.O.J. had reached a settlement in the case
on September 15 and Boston agreed to provide ballots, registration
notices, and other voting materials, in Spanish, Chinese, and
Vietnamese, as well as provide translators for voters and trained poll
workers. In addition, Boston has agreed to allow federal observers to
monitor elections in Boston though 2008.
Lowe, who had accused the city of mistreating Chinese voters in past
elections, said she didn’t see anything alarming during this election,
besides some minor errors in Chinese instructional information at the
polling sites at Ward 3, Precinct 8 and nearby Ward 5, Precinct 1.
“Inside, it seemed orderly,” she said.
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