Comments by Mayor Infuriate Latinos

The white mayor of Huntington Park, a city that is 92% Latino, faces a City Council vote next week to strip him of his ceremonial title because of comments he made about Mexican immigrants at a recent meeting.

During a discussion about a state bill that would make it easier for immigrants to get driver’s licenses, Mayor Tom Jackson railed against Mexican immigration in comments that some colleagues and activists say were racist. He later insisted that he was referring only to illegal immigration and that he was not criticizing Mexicans in general.

According to a tape recording of his controversial statements two weeks ago, Jackson said: “We have to come to the realization that the entire country of Mexico cannot come to California and if we make it tough for them to come here, they won’t come. . . . They have their country and we have our country and we cannot constantly be doing something to make their life easier.”

Jackson, a former flower shop owner who has been on the council 32 years, said he is not a racist and that he regrets that his comments may have been misunderstood.

“The voters know what I am,” he said in an interview. “If I was a racist, they would have gotten rid of me long time ago.”

Angry colleagues can’t remove him from the council, but on Monday two council members hope to call for a vote to strip Jackson of the ceremonial position of mayor.

Jackson is one of the few remaining white elected officials in the heavily Latino cities of southeast Los Angeles County. In the last 25 years, the region has undergone a dramatic demographic shift from a largely white middle-class population to a heavily Latino working-class population.

It has been only in the last 10 to 15 years that the elected leadership has begun to reflect that shift. In Huntington Park, the transition to a mostly Latino leadership has been relatively smooth--until now.

“The mayor represents the council and I want the people to know that he doesn’t represent me at all,” said Councilwoman Rosario Marin, a native of Mexico who, along with Councilman Ric Loya, supports removing Jackson from the mayoral post.

Marin and Loya said that during past council meetings, Jackson has swung his chair around and turned his back on constituents who testified in Spanish. More recently, the city has hired a professional interpreter.

Jackson, who said he doesn’t recall turning his back on his constituents, said the criticism from Marin and Loya is politically motivated.

“The people that are against you, they read into everything,” he said.

But he concedes that he can upset people by not being politically correct. “I say what I think,” he said. “Sometimes shooting from the hip is the worst thing you can do.”

Still, he added: “If I did say it in the wrong way, I didn’t mean to. My heart is in the right place.”

Jackson, who is known as a strong supporter of the city’s Police Department and business owners, has held the mayoral post 10 times since he was first elected in 1968.

He said he once tried to learn Spanish to communicate with his Spanish-speaking constituents but gave up, saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

It is uncertain whether Marin and Loya can get a third vote on the five-member council to remove Jackson’s title. Councilwoman Jessica Maes could not be reached.

Councilwoman Linda Luz Guevara said she didn’t hear Jackson’s comments because she was having a conversation with the city attorney at the time. She declined to say how she would vote.

But Guevara criticized Marin for attacking Jackson, noting that Marin previously worked as a Latino liaison for former Gov. Pete Wilson, who has been criticized by some Latinos for supporting Proposition 187 and other initiatives aimed at minorities.

“She is a hypocrite,” Guevara said of Marin. In response, Marin said she opposed Proposition 187.

When Jackson made his comments, the council chambers were nearly empty. But the meeting was recorded and copies of those audiotapes have been circulated among residents and other Latino elected officials.

Ophelia Hernandez, a community organizer who heard Jackson’s comments on tape, said she was outraged.

“It’s time for him to leave,” she said. “He is living in the past.”

Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, wrote to Jackson on Thursday, complaining about his comments.

“Given your views, I believe it is inappropriate for you to hold the seat as mayor of the city of Huntington Park,” he wrote.

Jackson’s controversial comments came during a city council discussion of AB 1463, a bill by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) to allow immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses while legalizing their immigration status.