2 Fil-Ams elected to Cerritos, California city council

Frank Aurelio Yokoyama and Mark Pulido were elected to the City Council of Cerritos, California. AJPRESS

CERRITOS, California — In an unprecedented move, the City of Cerritos, California has elected two Filipino Americans to its city council.

On Wednesday, April 26, current Cerritos Councilmember and former Mayor Mark Pulido and newly-elected Frank Aurelio Yokoyama were inducted at a Mayoral Transition ceremony in the Cerritos City Council Chambers as two of the city’s council members.

Pulido, a lifelong Cerritos resident, was re-elected for a second term while Yokoyama — who is half Filipino and half Japanese-American — has finally won a seat on the city council after a few unsuccessful past campaigns.

“Thank you, Cerritos voters, for giving me the chance to serve my hometown, to serve you,” Yokoyama, an attorney, remarked at the special meeting. “I will work hard for you, I will do my best for you, thank you.”

Homegrown

Another “homegrown son of Cerritos,” Yokoyama was a member of the Cerritos Planning Commission as well as a real estate broker, a local business owner and a youth basketball and soccer coach.

Pulido praised Yokoyama’s win and regards him as a close friend. In an interview after the ceremony, Pulido told the Asian Journal that he is once again is looking forward to having another Fil-Am serving on the city council.

“We happen to be Americans of Filipino ancestry who are participating in the American democratic process to provide leadership for our respective communities,” Pulido — who became the city’s first Filipino-American mayor in 2014 —  remarked.

“That’s really the story here: that [Filipino Americans] are now becoming a part of governing the community, not just being civically engaged. We’re now responsible for governing and making the important decisions for the betterment of all people in our community.”

Role model

Acknowledging the induction of another Fil-Am councilmember, Pulido said he’s “grateful for the opportunity to serve as a role model for Filipino American youth” to encourage them to become more involved in participating in government.

The diverse community of Cerritos is home to more than 49,000 residents, with about 9,000 of them being Filipino residents. Since first being elected to the Cerritos City Council in 2011, Pulido has become an important figure in the city, which is gradually becoming more and more diverse.

After his first stint on the city council, Pulido served as mayor pro tempore in 2013-2014, mayor in 2014 and was re-elected to the Cerritos City Council in 2015. Additionally, he was mayor pro tempore in 2017.

“It’s truly a testament to the commitment and persistence of the Filipino American community who lifted me up every time to have a seat at the table and to be able to voice our community’s concerns,” Pulido expressed.