There was a time when a Latino would have been selected for endorsement merely because he or she was a Latino. But in a closely watched 49th Assembly District race, a Chinese American and Latina are among the candidates putting . . . Ethnic Politics to the Test

For 45 minutes recently, members of the Eastside Democratic Club quietly listened to the candidates seeking the group’s endorsement for the vacant seat in the San Gabriel Valley’s 49th Assembly District.

When the hopefuls finished talking, the club’s members urgently sought a place to talk--in private. Everyone knew the conversation was going to get hot.

Speaking in Spanish, the members, all of them Latino, quickly narrowed the list of candidates to two: Gloria Romero, a Latina, and Judy Chu, who is Chinese American.

Then sparks began to fly: As club President Alvin Parra recalls, some members wanted to back Romero--even if a majority thought better of Chu--because “even if ours isn’t qualified, at least she’s Latina.”

There was a time when that kind of behind-closed-doors argument might have been decisive within the Eastside club, Parra says. But at that March 15 meeting, it wasn’t enough. Chu was endorsed.

Whether or not the group’s decision was another baby step toward multicultural government in Los Angeles, Parra thinks a message was sent.

“Regardless of ethnicity, we are looking for the best-qualified person,” he said, truncating the argument he made to his colleagues that day.

“Many years ago, Latino community representatives fought hard for Latino representation--for any Latino. Younger Latinos are really grateful for that,” Parra said. “But now it’s not just any representative, but what representative. We realize this is a diverse area, and we have to learn to live together.”

‘It’s About Leadership Politics in Sacramento’

How that realization plays out is a matter of interest far beyond the boundaries of the 49th District. Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University, said this San Gabriel Valley contest is the race to watch this year.

“It’s not only about ethnic politics,” he said. “It’s about leadership politics in Sacramento. Some of my research shows that this will be the first election in the ‘90s that some [safe] Latino seats in the Assembly won’t be Latino anymore.”

The 49th Assembly District, for example, encompasses one of the state’s most diverse constituencies, stretching from Rosemead westward through Monterey Park and Alhambra to include unincorporated East Los Angeles. It also is a longtime stronghold of Latino Democrats.

At least 31,000 Latino households in the district are home to at least one registered Democrat. Comparatively, fewer than 9,000 households have at least one Asian voter who is a Democrat, according to Voter Contact Services.

Overall, 59% of the 49th District’s voters are Democrats, compared to 23% Republican and 18% independent. Thus the June 2 primary is crucial because the winner is likely to glide to an easy victory in the general election.

Although the district’s Asians, most of Chinese descent, are better off economically than most of the other residents, that has meant little politically up to now.

But for the first time, voters can cross party lines in the new blanket primary, allowing Asians, about 50% of whom are Republican, to vote for Chu. Moreover, she has a strong financial advantage, having raised $116,000, more than triple the amount of her closest challenger.

In 1994--when Chu was soundly defeated by Latina incumbent Diane Martinez, who cannot seek reelection this year because of term limits--crossover votes might have greatly changed the outcome.

Rudolfo de la Garza, vice president of the Tomas Rivera Institute and a professor of government at the University of Texas in Austin, said his research suggests that Chu’s prospects among Latino voters are mixed, the Eastside Democratic Club’s endorsement notwithstanding.

“There are not many Latino organizations that can deliver a consensus,” he said. “This view might affect the elite but cannot deliver the electorate. The linkages aren’t as good as they should be.”

Still, studies by the institute have shown that Latinos are more willing to cast ballots for candidates outside their ethnic group than any other part of the electorate, De la Garza said.

“They say they look for the quality candidate,” he said. But for people like Chu, there’s a major drawback. “Given a choice, they usually vote for Latinos.”

The 49th District seat has long been one Latinos could count on, and Guerra believes that it is in the best interest of Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles) to “control the safe district.”

That helps to explain speculation that Villaraigosa endorsed Romero because of her ethnicity--something the speaker strongly denies.

“Gloria Romero and I are good friends,” he said. “I’ve known Gloria a long time.”

If Chu is to become the first Asian American to represent Southern California in Sacramento since state Sen. Al Song decades ago, she must reach beyond her own ethnic community--and deeply into the Latino electorate.

Walking down the winding Abajo Drive in Monterey Park--once the heart of Song’s district--Chu made her pitch to Joaquin Salazar after banging her fist on his front door.

Chu introduced herself as “the former mayor of Monterey Park, and I’ve been on the council for 10 years and I think it’s time to . . .”

“Step up?” said Salazar, finishing her sentence.

Chu eagerly nodded her head. “Do you think I can count on your support?”

Salazar studied Chu. His wife, Elizabeth, walked up to see who he was talking to. They remembered her as the candidate who tried to improve schools with largely Latino student bodies and demolish trashy-looking condos near their house.

“You probably will get my support,” he said. “I’ve voted for you before.”

Elizabeth Salazar said she would vote for Chu because the candidate had been a good mayor and council member. Chu founded Harmony Week, during which ethnic groups get together to show off their heritages, Elizabeth Salazar said.

“A lot of times people feel race means more, but it doesn’t,” she added. “You’re trying to fix certain things. I can honestly say that I haven’t been swayed by race.”

One Latino household down for Chu, thousands to go. Her campaign, with its multicultural group of volunteers, faces many other hurdles. Historically, Asian voters--her most natural supporters--have not turned out in large numbers.

That should help Romero, a formidable candidate herself.

Among the five hopefuls--including Mayor Bob Bruesch and Susan Martinez-Baker (the assemblywoman’s sister), both of Rosemead, Mayor Barbara Messina of Alhambra and Chu--Romero is considered the person to beat because of powerful endorsements from Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, a Republican. (Also running are Rosemead Councilman Jay T. Imperial, a Republican, and Libertarian candidate Rachel Brown of Alhambra.)

Romero also enjoys strong support from unions, whose membership is rich with volunteers willing to get out the vote by knocking on doors, carrying signs and staffing phone banks.

“I think I’m a hell of a candidate,” Romero said. Moreover, she said, there’s nothing wrong in emphasizing her ethnicity in a district where “the plurality happens to be Latino.”

“I’m not ashamed of calling myself a Latina and of calls for Latino empowerment,” said Romero, who sits on the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees.

She grew up in Barstow and moved to East Los Angeles 10 years ago. She is an avid union activist who Riordan believes is highly qualified to hold office and who Villaraigosa--himself a former union man--counts among his friends.

‘Almost Split Images of Each Other’

Rosemead Mayor Bruesch said he heard Villaraigosa say he endorsed Romero because he wants Latinos to hold onto the seat now occupied by Diane Martinez.

Asked if that was true, Romero responded curtly: “I think that’s a race-baiting question. Antonio is very proud of his heritage. He’s very proud of coming from East L.A. Yes, he endorsed me. We’ve worked on ethnic-related issues. I’m very familiar with him.”

Villaraigosa stood behind his endorsement and said Romero’s ethnicity had nothing to do with it. In fact, the speaker has supported several Asian candidates in the Assembly, including Mike Honda (D-San Jose), a Japanese American elected in a largely Latino district.

Still, Villaraigosa spoke like a man with mixed feelings about his choice. “I endorsed Gloria before I knew Judy was even in the race,” he said. “I think Judy Chu is a very fine candidate. But when you make an endorsement, you can’t take it back.”

Gregory Rodriguez, a research fellow at Pepperdine University’s Institute for Public Policy in Los Angeles, said the speaker’s comment shows that he has had second thoughts about backing Romero.

Rodriguez believes that’s a good thing. In his view, Romero is part of an old guard that clings too closely to “left-wing identity” politics.

“If the speaker continues to endorse candidates like Gloria Romero for the Assembly, then he risks making the Latino caucus ideologically irrelevant to the people of California. They could pigeonhole themselves ideologically.”

Romero’s backers disagree. In fact, Romero and Chu have interesting similarities. Both are college professors and doctors of psychology, and both have served on boards of education.

“The one main difference is ethnicity,” Eastside Democratic Club President Parra said. “I think it’s kind of weird that they are almost split images of each other.”

Even Bruesch, who is counting on his support in Rosemead to push him forward in case Romero and Chu divide the vote, senses a change.

“The 49th was laid out as a Hispanic district” after a 1990 federal court decision. “We all know that,” Bruesch said. “Historically, it’s been laid out as a Hispanic voting bloc in L.A. But now the voters have a very articulate American-born Asian as a candidate, and she has the influence to bring Anglo and Hispanic votes.”

Parra said his club’s support of a Chinese American candidate “is definitely a message to Democrats” in the area.

“Club members will really come out to get Judy elected,” he said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

49th Assembly District

Democrats: 76,071 / 59.0%Republicans: 29,879 / 23.2%

Independent: 22,921 / 17.8%

Total voters: 128,871

Voters under age 25: 11,529

Voters over age 65: 24,272

Voters: 25-65: 93,070

Source: Voter Contract Services