Three American Mayors of Japanese Heritage In The Bay Area
This was in the 1970s
It was a first which may not have happened again in one area
The three Japanese American Mayors in the Bay Area of California serving at the same time during the 1970s were Tom Kitayama of Union City, Norman Y. Mineta of San Jose, and yours truly in Pleasanton. There were very few Asian Americans in elective office at that time.
Mineta went on to serve in the U.S. Congress and later in two cabinet secretary positions. I served in the California State Assembly as one of the first two Japanese Americans in that body and entered private business as well as working for nonprofits. Kitayama served as Mayor of Union City for over thirty years while running a very successful flower business.
As a young instructor of Economics at a community college in Hayward, California, I decided to throw my hat into the ring for a political office. It was in the City of Pleasanton, California, where I lived. There was a city council race which was going on at that time. I had been interested in politics but had never entered the fray. My minor for my masters degree at Brigham Young University was Political Science. On the last day of filing, I put in my application to run for the city council.
