Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

SAN PEDRO - On March 3, 2009, the 29,000 registered voters of the city of Cerritos will go to the polls to elect five council members, one of whom is an American of Filipino descent, ABC School District President Mark Pulido, 39. Of the total number of registered voters in Cerritos, about 5,000 are Filipino-Americans, a large enough number that could help elect a Filipino candidate that could build a coalition with voters from other ethnic groups.

FilAm voters in Cerritos say that the council’s composition ideally should be three Asians and two Anglos, based on the ethnic make-up of the city. “We (Asians) are a majority now. Why is that we do not have representation?” asked Lita Vicente, who is presently residing in Washington, DC, but maintains a residence in Cerritos. “Let’s invite other groups to have confidence in our ability to lead,” she said. “Filipinos have accomplished a lot of things. It’s about time that we got recognition for having done something good for the nation,” Vicente said.

FilAms in Cerritos have fielded Filipino candidates for the city council nine times in the past. All of them failed to win a seat, including a run by Pulido. This time, they are pulling out all the stops to ensure a victory. “Panahon na. (It’s time). It’s about time that we put a Filipino in the Cerritos City Council,” declares Dan Nino, a career government employee and a freelance journalist and one of the convenors of a special luncheon held at Simon’s Banquet Center in San Pedro.The round-table luncheon was hosted by Simon’s owner Noel Motus, a Cerritos resident and civic leader. “During his last try at the position, Mark Pulido lost because he had declared his candidacy late. This time he announced his run six months before the March 3, 2009 election. “No more excuses,” Nino said. He said that Pulido lost in his first try because his campaign did not receive enough votes from absentee voters. “He won the actual voting,” Nino claimed.

Says retired nurse Nora Benzon: “My passion is to elect Mark Pulido because I truly and heartily believe in Mark’s endeavor to run for public office. He is a father, a good son, a good networker,” Adds Linnie Teale: “We all know his capability. So spread the word around. Encourage everybody to vote for him. We will need the help of all the races, and we cannot expect to win if we count on Filipinos alone.”

“We also feel that our main job is to educate our people that Filipino breed of politics doesn’t work here in the United States,” offered Tony Skiles, an Anglo who is married to a Filipino woman. “You know what I mean —oh, his wife is suplada (catty), I will not vote for him,” he commented. “American voters can’t be bought; we don’t have money; we need to raise funds,” he said. Stiles suggested educating Fil-Am voters, especially those who have arrived here more recently, about the culture of American politics and its democracy. “It’s not just about money,” said Lita Vicente. “We need to overcome a lot of cultural baggage here.”