Assemblywoman Praised for Reaching Across Ethnic Divide

They stood in a long line, deep in the heavy afternoon heat Saturday--the Latino city councilman, the young Asian professional, the union activist, the Democratic voter--for the chance to shake hands and snap a photo with their new hometown victor: Assemblywoman Judy Chu.

More than 500 supporters from El Sereno to El Monte gathered at a local park to congratulate the former Monterey Park councilwoman, who won a special election in May in the heavily Latino 49th Assembly District.

Before a diverse crowd representing the Latino and Asian faces of her constituency, Chu was ceremonially sworn in to office by her self-described role model, Rep. Hilda Solis (D-El Monte), who herself was recently elected to Congress.

Chu’s victory over Alhambra Mayor Daniel Arguello, capturing 58.5% of the vote to his 33.7%, was viewed as a credit to her ability to cross ethnic lines and reach out to Latinos on issues such as the fight against English-only rules. Half of the voters in the 49th District are Latino; a quarter are Asian.

“You brought us together when we were divided. I just want to thank you so much,” said Katherine Andrade, grasping Chu’s right hand with both of her own.

‘A Person Who Could Represent Everyone’

Andrade, who has lived in Montery Park for 48 years, had waited for half an hour to congratulate Chu, who stood in a receiving line, smiling and hugging scores of well-wishers--a few, like Andrade, becoming flushed with tears.

“I consider myself total Chicana,” Andrade said later. “But I saw in her someone in a place where I would have liked to have been--very educated, very smart, a person who could represent everyone.”

Sheriff Lee Baca stood alongside Chu in the amphitheater at Barnes Park in Monterey Park, calling her election “a historic moment for all of us” and describing her as “someone who crossed the ethnic divide and will bring us all together.”

In her brief speech, Chu said she was “humbled and overwhelmed” by heading to the Assembly in the midst of the state’s energy crisis and budget debates.

The 13-year veteran of the Monterey Park City Council and former Garvey School District trustee said her proudest moment so far as an assemblywoman has been her effort to secure $250,000 to upgrade the heating and air-conditioning system at Mark Keppell High School. That drew some of the heartiest applause of the afternoon.

Then, it was back to the receiving line--the main event of the day.

There stood Esther Yong of the Asian Professional Exchange, a young professionals group. “You’ve done so much for us,” Yong said, adding later that Chu is on the organization’s advisory board.

San Gabriel City Councilman David Gutierrez wouldn’t have missed the event. “All of us from smaller city councils like to see one of our own go on to state office,” he said. “She’ll make sure we get our share of state services.”

As the line dwindled to the last few, the novice state lawmaker said she had to catch a flight back to Sacramento for budget debates Saturday night. The rushing around, she said, is all so new.