Specials DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS MAGAZINE Spring 2011 - Anniversary Commemorative Issue Hispanic American Village Jobs Center Featured bilingual and other opportunities for all levels   Alliances Meet more IMDiversity Employment Opportunity Network allies

Dear L.A.: Wait and See About Your New Latino Mayor

A young resident of San Jose, Calif., where some have criticized a Latino mayor for policies they say promote gentrification, has advice for Los Angelenos before the inauguration of Villaraigosa

By Elizabeth Gonzalez, Pacific News Service

SAN JOSE, Calif.- June 7, 2005

Dear L.A.,

Congratulations on the recent election and upcoming inauguration of Antonio Villaraigosa. I know what you are feeling.

The joy and high hopes of electing a Latino mayor are still fresh in the memories of many San Jose residents, who elected Ron Gonzales to the position of mayor of San Jose in 1998.

I remember that was the first election I could vote in, and I was so excited about finally getting the chance to cast my ballot. I backed Ron Gonzales in his first race, believing that he would offer our communities desperately needed improvements.

Back when we were electing Gonzales, I thought that with a Latino mayor my community could have something to be proud of. With him in office, I believed, the Latino community would be more interested and involved in local politics. Soon though, the hype died down and I heard more and more resentment from my family and friends who had voted for Gonzales. Instead of being inspired to join the new city leader, we were moved to oppose him. We were left with a bitter taste in our mouths when we saw that Gonzales, our long-awaited Latino mayor, wasn't about the people. He was all about the business.

L.A., I hope that your new mayor works out better than Ron Gonzales did for us, but just in case, here are some words of warning.

Ron Gonzales made history as San Jose's first Latino mayor since California became a state in 1850. In 1998, Hispanics everywhere were raving about the gains Latinos had made all over the country in politics by electing Latinos -- both Democrats and Republicans -- into top-level political positions.

More than 80 percent of Latinos who voted in the 1998 San Jose election cast their ballots for Gonzales. We supported him not only because his name was Gonzales, but also because he promised to improve things we cared about -- like schools, housing, neighborhoods and traffic.

Sound familiar? Villaraigosa also made these issues central to his campaign for mayor of L.A.

With a Latino mayor, I thought we would have a sympathetic ear -- someone who could understand and relate to our experience, and know exactly how to bring his community forward. However, he didn't do any of this -- and didn't even pretend he was trying. Soon, I was finding myself at City Hall at rallies, protests and meetings to manifest the community's discontent with the mayor and city policies. It would bother me to watch the mayor hearing testimony and looking much like those other politicians, regardless of their race -- stone-faced, irritated or even bored while people poured their hearts out.

Gonzales is changing the face of San Jose forever, but not the way we hoped. Instead of viewing our existing community as an asset, he has tried to drive us out and bring in something new. Gonzales has used the language of reinvestment and revitalization only to mask the reality of gentrification. People who were already living in San Jose, cooped up with many families under one roof just to make the rent, didn't get any relief from their situation. As a result, more and more families could not afford to stay here and had to move to the Central Valley.

But just because both Gonzales and Villaraigosa are Latino does not mean they come from the same background. That might be the saving difference for you, L.A..

Gonzales comes from the high-tech industry, having worked as an executive for Hewlett-Packard. His loyalties seem to reflect that fact more than the Latino community ties he once talked about. Since his election, Mayor Gonzales has been busy turning his back on the people who elected him while holding the hand of business that contributed hefty sums to his campaigns. But the city of San Jose shouldn't be sold off in pieces to the highest bidder. Trendy (and empty) condos and an extravagant City Hall with outrageous price tags don't define San Jose. Its people do.

Villaraigosa has a different story, coming from a background of community service, from his student activism days to heading the ACLU of Southern California to becoming an elected official. I hope he remains true to those who have supported him on his way to becoming the new mayor of Los Angeles.

Both mayors run cities where over a third of the population is Latino, but they never would have been elected if they didn't appeal to a majority of their city's constituents. Their victories shouldn't be exalted just because they are Latino. We should be happy that they have the privilege to represent us. But we should wait to see if their actions benefit our communities before we let ourselves believe that this historic shift will actually create positive changes for our cities.

Good luck, L.A.

PNS contributor Elizabeth Gonzalez, 24, is a writer for Silicon Valley De-Bug, a voice for young workers, writers and artists in Silicon Valley.