First ever Fil-Am member of Chicago’s city council is allied with left-leaning mayor

Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, a daughter of Filipino immigrants, won an upset victory as Alderman over her opponent Joe Dunne in the runoff election, making her the first Fil-Am alderwoman to be elected to this city’s council in 185 years. CAMPAIGN WEBSITE

CHICAGO—Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth made history last April 4 when she won an upset victory as Alderman over her opponent Joe Dunne in the runoff election, making her the first Fil-Am alderwoman to be elected to this city’s council in 185 years.

Hoppenworth allied with mayoral candidate now Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, former Cook County Commissioner, who upset former Chicago Public Schools Superintendent Paul Vallas, the top vote-getter in the Feb. 28 primary, while incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot placed third in the field of nine candidates and failed to advance to the runoff election.

Joe Dunne, a real estate developer, was the top vote-getter for 48th Ward Alderman in the primary on Feb. 28 out of a field of ten candidates, followed by Hoppenworth. Dunne was endorsed by retiring Alderman Harry Osterman.
There are 50 wards in Chicago and 48th Ward is the northeast side of Chicago that encompasses Edgewater, East Andersonville, Argyle and the northern portion of Uptown.

Hoppenworth and Mayor-elect Johnson are progressives who will work with a city council a third of which will be made up of left-leaning aldermen. Labor unions, notably the Chicago Teachers Union, campaigned furiously to overcome Candidate Vallas $9-million campaign chest – double that of Johnson’s.

“A third of the city council has turned over, which is historic, and are more progressive. We have the ability to pass legislation in ways that we haven’t done in the past because of the way we’re structured. It’s a mayoral stronghold,” Hoppenworth explained

Fil-Am activist Nerissa Allegretti, who co-organized the “Filipinos for Brandon Johnson,” had also volunteered to help Hoppenworth’s grass root campaign as a precinct captain, poll watcher and canvasser.

Allegretti worked with “Friends of Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth” and was also instrumental in Leni’s victory.

“Right now the biggest thing for us is to ensure we are sustainable to be effective as we transition Leni to her Alderwoman seat… Many people want meet with Leni so were going to have a specific process so that Leni can come to their events,” said campaign manager Joz Sida.

 Immigrant parents

In an exclusive interview with PINOY, Hoppenworth credited her diplomacy and love of governing to her maternal grandfather, Daniel Parez, a former Mayor of Baguio City. Hoppenworth is a physical therapy graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her husband is of German descent, originally from Iowa. They have three young adult children who were active in her campaign.

Interviewing 48th Ward Alderperson-elect Leni Manaa- Hoppenworth, the first Fil-Am to serve in Chicago’s City Council (from left) Pinoy staffer Grace G. Szpytma, editor/publisher Mariano A. Santos in April shown with campaign volunteer Josie Viga, precinct captain Nerissa Allegretti and the alderperson-elect at their campaign HQ. PINOY EXCLUSIVE

As a daughter of immigrant parents, Hoppenworth was born in the South Side and later grew up in the South suburbs. She is the daughter of Lopi Manaa and the late Virginia Perez, originally from Northern Philippines and were both RN’s.

There are 300 Filipino residents in Chicago’s 48th Ward alone. As of 2010, Filipinos were the second-largest population of Asian Americans in Illinois after Indian Americans.

In 2011, five percent (84,800) of all Filipino immigrants in the United States lived in Illinois, the majority of whom (78,400) lived in the Chicago metropolitan area. Although not as concentrated as other Asian American groups, they are the fourth-largest ethnicity currently immigrating to the Chicago metro area.

In 2011, the Chicago metropolitan area was home to four percent of all Filipino immigrants in the United States. A large concentration of Filipino Americans resides in the North and Northwest sides, often near hospitals.