Housing rights attorney Ysabel Jurado was sworn into the Los Angeles City Council as its first Filipino American member during a public ceremony on Feb. 1.
Jurado, 35, represents the city’s 14th district which spans downtown LA, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, El Sereno, and Northeast LA. The councilmember ran as a progressive and won her election in November last year, overcoming incumbent Kevin de León, MyNewsLA reported.
At the ceremony, Jurado thanked supporters and volunteers and promised to continue her progressive ideals given the recent California wildfire and new presidential administration, according to Asian Journal.
“With the backdrop of the fires and also the national political agenda we need unity more than ever,” Jurado said.
Born to Filipino immigrants, Jurado told Spectrum News about her drive to study law and dedication to public service.
“It came from my family. I think they’ve always been committed to public service. My dad was always a very giving person and so was my mom,” Jurado said. “And so it was always this ethos of service.”
During her career as a housing rights attorney, Jurado advocated for permanent solutions to the housing crisis and against gentrification, Asian Journal reported.
Present at the swearing-in ceremony were Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass and labor activist Dolores Huerta. Huerta administered Jurado’s taking of the oath of office.
“That courage from the Filipino legacy continues down to Los Angeles City Council with Ysabel Jurado, who represents, not just the Filipino community but all communities,” Huerta said.
Jurado’s agenda includes addressing street lighting issues in her district and expediting projects that have been ongoing, including solutions and resources surrounding Skid Row.
“One of the things is that we haven’t been able to convene all of the elected officials and the government agencies in a cohesive way,” Jurado told Spectrum News.
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc.
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