Meet the District 11 candidates: "How will you reach the Asian community in D11?" (2024)

Welcome back to the “Meet the Candidates” series for District 11, where we ask each candidate to answer one question every week leading up to the election. They must answer the question in 100 words or less. We will link to longer answers.

With District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí termed out and running for mayor, seven candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to represent the Excelsior, Oceanview and the Outer Mission.

Over 56 percent of the District 11 population is Asian, the highest percentage among all 11 supervisor districts in San Francisco, according to the 2022 Redistricting Task Force data. Only two out of the six candidates — Chyanne Chen and Michael Lai — can directly talk to Chinese voters, a part of the Asian electorate, in their native tongues.

So this week, we are asking the six candidates: How will you reach the Asian community in District 11?

Next week, I will be back at Excelsior Coffee, 4495 Mission St, Thursday, May 30, at 10 a.m. Drop by and share your thoughts! You can also reach me at xueer@missionlocal.com.

Jose Morales

• Job: Sales professional, small business owner
• Age: 28
• Residency: Tenant, born in District 11 in 1995 and has lived there since, except for time away in college from 2014 to 2017 and living in Idaho from 2021 to the end of 2022
• Transportation: Car
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from Sonoma State University
• Languages: English, Spanish

Ensuring the Asian community feels valued and understood is a top priority for me.

I’m actively seeking a Mandarin/Cantonese speaker to join my campaign to help bridge the language barrier. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m dedicated to showing the Asian community that I deeply care about their concerns. We share many similarities, and I’m committed to fighting for our district’s rightful resources until my last day in office.

Additionally, I’ve been grateful for the support of friends, family, and local Asian businesses like Sweet Delight Bakery on Mission and Excelsior, who have helped amplify our message within the community.

Chyanne Chen

• Job: Worker organizer, community facilitator & educator
• Age: 39
• Residency: Homeowner, landlord, living in District 11 since August 2000
• Transportation: Walk, public transportation, rideshare, and car
• Education: Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Davis, master’s degree from Cornell University, doctoral degree in education in progress at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese

I am committed to addressing the varied needs of the Asian community in District 11 and making sure that all voices are heard and represented.

As a fully bilingual and bi-literate Cantonese and Mandarin speaker, I know the Asian community is not monolithic. It comprises many distinct cultures, languages, and experiences. Recognizing this diversity is crucial to effectively reach and meet the needs of the Asian community in District 11.

I will work closely with established community groups to ensure that my efforts are culturally sensitive and effectively targeted. I would work with them to establish and strengthen programs…Read more.

Endorsed by: Assemblymember Phil Ting, former police commissioner Larry Yee, San Francisco Board of Education commissioner Jenny Lam, former supervisors Norman Yee, Sandy Fewer and Mabel Teng.

Adlah Chisti

• Job: Public policy analyst, caregiver
• Age: 40
• Residency: Live with parents and caregive for them, born in District 11 in 1983 and lived there since, moved out in 2013 and back in 2017
• Transportation: Public
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in politics and in environmental science, and master’s degree in education from University of San Francisco, master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy, juris doctorate from University of California Law, San Francisco
• Languages: English, Spanish, Hindi

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Ensuring representation for every community within District 11 is a cornerstone of my candidacy. Public safety and education are priority issues.

A fully staffed public safety department and community policing are crucial for maintaining clean and safe streets, fostering business revitalization, and increasing foot traffic. District 11 also saw a reduction in blessing scams impacting Asian seniors in our community. Thanks to Ingleside Police Captain Amy Hurewitz and Nancy Tung from the San Francisco District Attorney’s office who worked tirelessly to reduce Blessing scams through direct services and community engagement.

Quality public school education is vital for local economic growth and stability…Read more.

Ernest “E.J.” Jones

• Job: Community advocate
• Age: 38
• Residency: Living in District 11 since November 1985 and has lived here always, except for time away at college

One of my top priorities is to ensure effective communication and engagement with the Asian community in District 11.

Our plan to hire dedicated staff fluent in Chinese and Tagalog to ensure language accessibility. We will also organize collaborative events and provide multilingual literature to make our messages more inclusive and accessible.

Engaging and empowering community leaders through leadership opportunities will help build solidarity among communities and help shape our district’s future collaboratively.

Lastly, we’ll partner with community and faith-based organizations serving the Asian community in District 11, leveraging existing networks for targeted outreach, reflecting our community’s diverse voices and needs.

Endorsed by:Supervisors Shamann Walton and Myrna Melgar, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Former SF mayor Willie Brown Jr., Transit Workers Union Local 250A.read more here

Michael Lai

• Job: Early education director, elected to the San Francisco Democratic Party
• Age: 31
• Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since February 2024
• Transportation: Public
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in government at Harvard College with coursework at Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Languages: English, Mandarin

I love bringing the District 11 Chinese community together for every event on the Lunar calendar. In February, I organized a Lunar New Year Lantern Festival (元宵节) in the historic Geneva Carbarn with more than 600 RSVPs, and in April, a Qingming Kite Flying event in McLaren Park to cherish our ancestors.

Our district also has thriving Filipino and Pacific Islander communities and businesses, and I’m stoked about Chow Fun, an Asian restaurant tour through Excelsior and OMI led by Filipino American leader Al Perez — hope you’ll join us for the kickoff this Saturday, May 25, at 11 a.m.!

Language access is critical…Read more.

Endorsed by:Attorney General Rob Bonta, Senator Scott Wiener, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Supervisors Joel Engardio and Matt Dorsey, NorCal Carpenters Union. read more here

Roger Marenco

• Job: Transit operator
• Age: 42
• Residency: Tenant, living in District 11 since May 2014
• Transportation: Public
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in environmental sustainability and social justice from San Francisco State University. City College San Francisco
• Languages: English, Spanish

We will reach out to the Asian community by establishing a monthly or quarterly community newsletter that speaks to them in their native language so that they can relate to current events in a faster manner.

We will assure the Asian community that crimes against Asians will not be tolerated and that criminals will be prosecuted.

We will endeavor to host monthly community meetings in District 11 at Asian venues with translators so that everyone can feel welcome. We will encourage them to get involved by volunteering their time to help us fight for District 11 empowerment.

District 11 contribution

Money raised and spent in the District 11 supervisor race

Source: San Francisco Ethics Commission, as of April 3, 2024. Chart by Junyao Yang.

Candidates are ordered alphabetically but rotated weekly. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at xueer@missionlocal.com.

Read the rest of the District 11 questions here, and the entire “Meet the Candidates” series here.

You can register to vote via the sf.gov website. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.