by Elpidio R. Estioko Jessica Caloza, the first Filipino elected to California’s 52nd Assembly District, promised to bring the voice of her community to Sacramento.
Caloza won in the November 5 General Election, the first Filipino to win a seat in California’s State Assembly (52nd district, a big district), defeating her fellow Democrat Franky Carrillo, after running a well-oiled campaign which catapulted her to winning the Assembly seat.
A women’s rights advisor, she will now represent a district that encompasses East L.A. and parts of Glendale, as well as several Los Angeles neighborhoods, including El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, Highland Park, Eagle Rock and Echo Park.
The district, previously represented by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo who didn’t run for re-election, has a population of more than half a million people, 57% Latino, according to 2020 Census data.
In a series of email exchanges, Caloza confirmed:
“I was born in Quezon City, Philippines, and I am a proud Filipina-American. I’m the youngest of six and my parents, Gigi and Jesse, moved our family to Eagle Rock when I was a young girl. My mom is from Quezon City and my dad is from Pangasinan. He is Ilocano.”
As to her education, she said: “I went to college at the University of California, San Diego, and double majored in Political Science/International Relations and Ethnic Studies.”
When asked about her priorities as a duly elected CA representative, she said:
“I’ve dedicated my entire life to public service because I believe in the power of government and how it can transform lives when it works. As an Assemblymember, my priority will be enacting policies that lower the cost of living and improve the quality of life for all of our working families, including building more affordable housing, creating good-paying jobs, supporting small businesses, taking bold action on the climate, and ensuring healthcare for all.”
Caloza is a first-time candidate and a first-generation immigrant. Prior to her election to the CA Assembly, she was deputy chief of staff at the California Department of Justice, where she focused on crime reduction and environmental protection.
She also served as an L.A. Public Works Commissioner in the U.S. Department of Education under the Obama administration and has secured resources for underfunded schools, expanded union jobs, and ensured equal pay for women.
Caloza, a proud immigrant and the daughter of working-class parents, ran for Assembly to fight for all working families.
In the Assembly, Caloza will invest in public education, support small businesses, protect a woman’s right to choose, reduce the cost of living, and take bold action on the climate crisis.
She has a very simple yet very meaningful philosophy in life.
“My philosophy in life is to treat others like how you would treat your family. My family, especially my parents, is my North Star,” she said.
When asked why she ran, Jessica said, “My family is my inspiration–because of them, especially my mom and Dad, I’ve dedicated my life to public service because we need to do more to serve our community and ensure every voice is heard, seen, valued, and cared for”
She further explained, “I’ve had the privilege of working for President Barack Obama, Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Attorney General Rob Bonta and my experience serving at the federal, state, and local levels of government is what will make me effective and ready to serve my community from day one.”
During the exchange of emails, I mentioned there are many challenges ahead of her.
“The State of California is facing a budget deficit and I’m ready to tackle and fight to ensure our most critical services are protected, especially when it comes to issues impacting women, children, seniors, and families,” she addressed.
When asked about her message to her constituents, Caloza thanked the voters for their trust.
“I’m deeply honored and grateful for the outpouring of support—thank you to the voters of Assembly District 52 for placing their trust in me to serve in Sacramento,” she said.
“From East L.A. to Northeast L.A. to Glendale, I am committed to serving the needs of all of our diverse communities and more importantly, I am committed to delivering solutions on our most important issues—tackling the cost of living, building more affordable housing, creating good-paying jobs, protecting our environment, expanding healthcare for all, and investing in our public schools.”
For her final note, Caloza expressed:“Lastly, I want to thank every single person who’s been part of our special journey running for office—thank you to all of our volunteers, supporters, and staff for their hard work, dedication, and heart for service. Together, we were able to build a diverse coalition and win. I hope to carry this momentum into the legislature because our campaign for Assembly is not about one of us, it’s about all of us.”
In another California news, Ysabel Jurado won as the first Filipino elected member of the Los Angeles City Council. Her campaign was efficiently orchestrated by her campaign manager Naomi Villagomez Roochnik and her campaign scheduler Milagros Montalvo. Jurado became the Los Angeles City Councilmember for District 14, pulling a surprising upset against incumbent Kevin de León.
Jurado said in her victory statement: “This win is not mine—it belongs to our community. It was the community that came together to knock over 83,000 doors; it was the community that mobilized into a thousand-plus army of volunteers; it was the community that wrote and sent over 8,000 postcards.”
Go ladies, you have a lot of work ahead but with your talents and expertise, you will surely succeed!
Mabuhay!
ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKOwas a veteran journalist in the Philippines and an award-winning journalist here in the US. He just published his book Unlocking the chain of Poverty: In Pursuit of the American Dream which is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Xlibris Publishing. For feedbacks, comments… please email author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com
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