Candidate Interview: Sharon Quirk-Silva

Sharon Quirk-Silva, former California State Assembly member and a teacher for the past 30 years, speaks about her ironic choice to not join the Peace Corps, and what she’s most looking forward to in 2016.

Amy Chen: What do you do and why?

Sharon Quirk-Silva: I’m an educator by profession, but I would call myself a public servant for my community. Starting way back in my education with starting a garden at the school I taught at, almost 18 years ago, then moving on to the Parks and Recreation commission and being elected to my local city council, the local Mayor and then to the State.

I think that I’ve always been from a time when I was very young someone who likes to get involved. I’m very hands on. I would be one of the kids who would actually like to be building things instead of just reading about it. I never liked to just look at it, I’d like to do it. So I think that stayed with me throughout adulthood. And the predominant factor on the why is the need. As a teacher for many years, I’ve seen firsthand the struggles of the families in my classroom have endured, whether it be housing or transportation — some of those basic needs that we assume Californians have. There’s a lot of research out there that shows when you improve the quality of life [of these kids] from their neighborhood and homes, it has a direct impact academically.

AC: Yes, yes and then that will have an impact on their overall success in life.

SQS: Yes, exactly.

AC: So I want you to take us back to the time when you were at Fullerton College and then UCLA, did you see yourself in education and then in public service back then?

SQS: That’s a good question. I really didn’t. I was the first in my family to not only go to community college but to graduate from a four-year [university] and it was a struggle as well, figuring out how to have small jobs to pay for the basics. I actually always thought that I would go into the Peace Corps. An ironic story about that is that I didn’t go into the Peace Corps because I went to an introductory meeting and they talked about fundraising and that scared me to death. To me, that was a huge step. Now, part of my job as a candidate, is to be a fundraiser so that’s the irony there.
I also see two specific paths to politics. One is that you are involved with your student government and they want to work for an elected official at a very young age. Mine was very much a pathway of typical woman candidates where I kind of evolved into it. I also had been teaching and there had been a position open in the school district which as a Healthy Start Coordinator. The position was really about making connections in the community and connecting the community to the school. It was kind of a natural fit; not with the design to be a politician but when you’re out there, you start to meet people and you start to realize there’s a lot of work.

AC: To hear you talk about your trajectory, it seems so matter of fact, but from what you’ve shared, I’m sure you were naturally very active.

SQS: You know, I was very active with my children and their activities, so I unknowingly built my own constituency groups. (laughs) In many ways, I took risks by getting out of the classroom, taking on positions in a collaborative position. The outcome wasn’t one day I’ll be an Assembly member. The risk taking part was that when the opportunities came up, my team and I said ‘yes.’

AC: There has always been a history of activism on college campuses across the country and in recent years specifically in response to institutional racism, sexual assault and affirmative action. As an educator and in your time as a legislator you’ve made access and funding in schools and colleges a priority, what are your ideas about what young women, especially women of color, can do in activist circles, particularly at schools or in spaces meant to be constricting?

SQS: I think the first thing is that [women] have to be able to make connections amongst themselves. Whether you’re a person of color or a woman, or in my case I went from Fullerton to UCLA and it doesn’t seem that far, but it really was a whole other world.

I had been part of a summer bridge program at the time and that allowed me to have some success and create a network. The graduation rate for an average four-year university student right now are just above 50%. So when you really look at it, and I was on the Higher Education committee at the state, why are these students who actually make it into the colleges, why are they not graduating? It goes back to the one piece where they are not connected. So getting women involved on campus is the first step — whether it’s through an activist group, a sorority, or an ethnic group.

The next part of that step is at some point identifying what is we want to do together. That’s where groups struggle. To really create the change that people are hoping for that relates to campus climate or race relations or domestic violence on campus, it also requires speaking up between friends and finding ways to work together and map things out.

AC: What has your experience as a teacher, city councilor, Mayor and Assemblymember taught you about gendered work culture?

SWS: I think there is still a lot to do. I remember at some of my first Council meetings with five male colleagues and myself, I almost raised my hand to speak and realizing that’s what you would do in a group but that type of behavior didn’t work because you had to jump in or they’re never going to give you a turn. So you kind of learn on the job that being nice and polite doesn’t work in a male-dominated group. It also always comes down to relationships and I think women do a great job at trying to understand who they’re working with.

AC: I’m wondering as you moved up, what was it like for you in the Assembly then?

SWS: I was an Assemblymember that had never really worked at the state level. I had about three weeks to transition when I won. It was a learning curve. That being said, after two years, I had 14 bills signed into legislation and I think they were very meaningful legislations.

AC: What issues do you believe that are often framed as ‘women issues,’ should be identified as economic issues?

SWS: There are issues that we say are ‘women’s issues’ such as equality and pay, and men should want that as much as woman. Many women are single parents and as they become more thriving economically or personally that moves up the entire community.

Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, who’s Vice Chair of the Women’s Caucus, just introduced a ‘no tax’ on tampons. What else should be not taxed and is this as surprising as it sounds? Other things such as childcare is not just a woman’s responsibility and yet it’s always put in as a human services thing. You wouldn’t see a Chamber of Commerce advocating for a childcare bill.

Transportation and affordable housing are also issues that affect the family. It’s really about being comprehensive. Probably growing up in a family of ten, it just pushed me to realize that we have to do better.

AC: Wow. I didn’t know you are one of ten siblings.

SWS: Yes. I’m the middle child, the sixth. Five brothers and four sisters and all very creative. With 10 brothers and sisters, you had to be thrifty and creative. It would be a big deal to go to the mall and buy something regular priced. Once and a while I’ll go to the mall and I’ll think, “who can do this?” (laughs)

AC: Let’s switch gears, what book have you read the most and why?

SWS: I re-read and I’m been trying to finish it for the second time is “Jane Eyre.” I started reading it again this summer. I found that it’s interesting to re-read because of the language in it. It’s really high-end vocabulary.

AC: Who is your mentor or who do you mentor?

SWS: My mother. She’s almost 80-years-old and she still comes and volunteers in my class. She’s raised ten kids. She allowed me to be very creative. I also always did sports but was never really good at them, and she pushed me to do things that I wasn’t always good at is good. I swam in the high school team and never won a race. (laughs) Again, running for re-election. It would be easy to not run again after losing. That was a big loss and these aren’t personal losses, these are very public at this level.

She’s got ten kids and I never, ever hear her say a negative word. She’s been able to show all that she is just…there.

As far as mentoring, I try my best to help individuals. There’s a young woman from Richmond who wants to run for local school board. She’s very young and very interested. Just meet with her and work with her. Really trying to let people know that you shouldn’t wait to run.

When I was at the Assembly, I hired women as my chief of staff and as my district director and even mentored women through the H.O.P.E. PAC.

AC: How do you think women can help other women succeed?

SWS: Number one, you got to be available. It’s the availability of sitting down and giving people your time and making sure you show them that you want to see them succeed and if you can hire them. If you can’t, making sure that you are promoting them. Making sure that you are doing what you can with the role that you have. Allowing them to have success as much as they can as well as understanding where they are. Some women are raising young families, some are commuting, just understanding that everyone has a different scenario doing what they’re doing.

AC: Lastly, what can California Women’s List members do to support you and you campaign?

SWS: It’s multi-layered. Blogs, conferences or workshops, just letting people know that this race is going to be one of the tightest races in the state. This race is probably one of the few pick up seats. It’s a serious race, so it means a lot. If people are interested in joining the campaign, sending them our way. Anything you can do to raise awareness.

AC: What’s on your ‘List’ in 2016?

SWS: Having more fun. When you are doing things like I’m doing, you can be seen as serious. A campaign can be grueling and draining, so just having a lot more fun with it and enjoying the process.

This interview has been condensed and edited.
Sharon Quirk-Silva is running for Assembly District 65. You can follow her at @QuirkSilva2016.
Amy Chen is the VP of Digital at California Women’s List.

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California Women's List
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