More Asian Candidates, But Not More Support

By Aruna Lee, New America Media

SAN FRANCISCO - There are more Korean-American candidates running in the November elections in the California Bay Area than ever before, reports the Korea Times.
Four Korean-American candidates are running locally, three of them women. Jane Kim, president of the San Francisco Board of Education, is vying to take Chris Daly's seat on the Board of Supervisors representing District 6; Jennifer Pae is running for Oakland City Council in District 2; Kathy McDonald is running for Fremont City Council; and Doo Sup Park, a Republican candidate, is going up against Chinese-American Leland Yee to represent District 8 in the California Senate.

Yet despite the hope that these candidates could bring more Korean voices to the table, they seem to be getting very little support from their own community, reports Pan Kyum Kim for the Korea Times.

For example, only 10 people showed up to a fundraising meeting for Kathy McDonald a couple of months ago.

"Many Koreans aren't registered to vote, so how can Korean candidates expect to win their votes?" Pan Kyum writes.

One of the Korean candidates is actually getting more support from the Chinese community than the Korean community, according to the Korea Times.

Jane Kim, who visited the Sing Tao Daily last week, is hoping that her association with the Chinatown Community Development Center will earn her the support of Chinese voters.