Fremont's first Indian-American mayor has big plans for East Bay city
Fremont's recently elected Mayor Raj Salwan is blazing a new trail as the first Indian-American to lead the East Bay city.
He was sworn in on December 10, and so he is working to get adjusted into his new role. However, this isn't his first time in Fremont politics.
Salwan began serving the city back in 2005 as the human relations commissioner. He then took on the role as councilman, before becoming vice mayor and now the mayor. He's also been working as a veterinarian for the past 25 years.
"It was a special moment to have my father swear me in. [It] kind of recognizes his contributions to get us to where we are now and also kind of remember where I came from," Salwan told CBS News Bay Area.
Salwan was born in India and moved to Fremont when he was six years old. He said that he is proud of growing up in the city, which has a predominantly Asian American population.
"I'm proud of who I am. And I want everybody to feel proud of who they are. When I grew up here, you know, people felt insecure. I always had to prove myself. And I want my children, and other people's children to not have those kinds of feelings or insecurities," the mayor said.
As Mayor, he adds that there are many things he wants to tackle head on, including improving public safety and cracking down on homelessness. He said the city reduced homelessness by 21% over the last two years.
"We're actively managing encampments. We have people going out there with our med team, which is a social health worker, mental health individual, as well as a police officer. And so we're constantly checking in on them, see how we can help them," Salwan said.
The mayor also added that he wants to put Fremont on a larger map.
"Making Fremont a part of the big four. You know we often hear about San Francisco, we hear about San Jose, Oakland. But I think Fremont is right there," he said.
Community members also said they are proud and thankful for Salwan's leadership in Fremont.
"We're very proud of him being the trailblazer for the entire Indian American community," said Vijaya Aasuri, who has been living in Fremont for 35 years. "He understands the rich culture of Fremont."
The Indian-American community makes up about 37% of the city's population. Salwan also added that he wants to revitalize downtown.
"It used to end right here. It used to be a shopping center and it just stopped. And so we created this new street that connects all the way to Fremont Boulevard. And connects to Fremont Hub on the other side," Salwan explained.
"The vision is to transform like a suburban community into a strategically urban community. So that requires getting more nightlife, entertainment," he added.
The mayor said the city's plan is to bring in commercial buildings, with retail stores on the bottom and apartments on top.
"A lot of times people say, 'There's not enough to do. I need more excitement.' So, for example, my son has to go to San Francisco on weekends. So he shouldn't have to do that. We should be able to have everything here," Salwan said.
He said that in this next chapter of his life, it's important to stay true to himself.
"We have this festival, it's called Rakhi. And basically, your sister ties the Rakhi on you. So it's a symbolism of the bond between brother and sister," the mayor shared, showing his bracelet.
Salwan vows to stay true to his heritage and identity as he paves the way for the next generation of leaders.