Fil-Am woman sworn in as mayor of Sierra Madre, California

Mayor Rachelle Arizmendi of Sierra Madre, California. AJPRESS

LOS ANGELES — A Filipino American woman was sworn in as the mayor of Sierra Madre, California, becoming the first Asian American to lead the city.

Rachelle Arizmendi took the oath of office — officiated by California State Treasurer John Chiang — during the city council meeting on Tuesday, April 25, succeeding Gene Goss, who was selected as mayor in 2016. Arizmendi’s term will last one year.

Before handing off the role, Goss praised Arizmendi for her “professionalism” in serving as the city’s mayor pro tem for the past year.

A California native, Arizmendi was first elected to the city council in 2014, and had previously served on the city’s Community Services Commission for five years.  She and her husband, Fili Arizmendi, have been living in Sierra Madre since 2006.

“Even though we rotate through this position, it really is something to be humbled about and honored about, that the residents of Sierra Madre have had enough faith in me to take this position,” she told the Asian Journal.

City in the foothills

Located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley and east of Pasadena, Sierra Madre’s population is comprised of Caucasians (82 percent), Hispanics (15 percent), and Asians (8 percent), according to the 2010 U.S. Census.

During her remarks at the meeting on Tuesday, Arizmendi thanked her family, mentors and the community for electing her. She noted that the upcoming year would be “very challenging” as the council will tackle a variety of issues, including the water infrastructure and budget cuts.

“We will be asked to make a lot of tough decisions in this upcoming year — decisions that will require bold action,” she said.

She went on to say, “The bigger question is how we balance all of this with preserving our community and the history of Sierra Madre and still maintaining our quality of life. But with the leadership of our new city manager and our dedicated city staff, I’m confident that we will be able to persevere as they carry out the charge of the council.”

Call for engagement

She urged also residents to continue being engaged and vocal.

“This is still a city where people say hello to each other on the streets. It’s still a city where you can walk at 10:30 at night and still feel safe. You can still walk down to the local produce market and get some food and people still know what you got the day before,” she told the Asian Journal. “We want to maintain that quality of life and preserve what we have in this town.”

The incoming mayor is the vice president and chief executive officer of the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE), a non-profit community development organization based in Los Angeles that serves over 40,000 people annually in the areas of job training and employment, business development and early childhood education, among others.

“It’s probably, I would say, where my heart is — serving the people,” she said.

With her new public service role, Arizmendi joins a handful of Fil-Ams in Southern California elected into local offices.

“It’s a badge of honor,” she said. “But at the same time, a big responsibility, so I’m going to do my best in representing the Filipinos, whether it’s in our city or in California or throughout the United States. I’m extremely proud of that fact.”