Los Angeles City Council proposes to add new positions for special AAPI district

A proposal to expand the Los Angeles County's Board of Supervisors from five to nine received support from two Congressional representatives on Thursday, July 18.

Rep. Judy Chu, who represents the 28th Congressional District, and Rep. Ted Lieu, representing the 36th Congressional District, believe adding members could lead to a special district for the Asian American Pacific Islander community.

The two officials joined Supervisors Lindsey Horvath, Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis for a news conference, where they shared how crucial the proposal could mean to the AAPI community.

"This expansion is not just a structural adjustment, it's a crucial step toward ensuring that our government truly represents the rich diversity of our region," Chu said. "LA County is home to more Asian Americans than any other county in the United States, with close to 1.5 million AAPI living here."

She noted Asian American have outpaced overall population growth in cities such as Monterey Park, Koreatown, Long Beach, Torrance and Santa Clarita, where the Asian American population has tripled in size.

"L.A. County is home to 14 Asian majority suburbs, many of whom are in my district in the San Gabriel Valley," Chu said. "But despite this overwhelming growth of AAPI communities across LA County, there is not a single person who is AAPI who sits on the Board of Supervisors."

Chu said the AAPI community has been marginalized for far too long, citing discriminatory laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 or the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Lieu hailed the proposal to expand the Board of Supervisors, adding that it will make it easier for county leaders to respond to the needs of their constituents. Currently each five board members represents about 2 million people.

The proposal also calls for the establishment of a Director of Budget and a Legislative Analyst, and creation of an independent ethics commission.

Supervisor Hahn reiterated that the county is largest in the nation, and more populous than 40 states. 

"We want to make sure that more voices are in our boardroom when we're deciding how to tackle the biggest changes we face as a county," said Hahn. "The AAPI community deserves a seat at that table."

The Board of Supervisors are expected to take a first vote Tuesday, July 23, on the draft ordinances that would place the package of proposed County Charter changes on the November ballot. If approved, a subsequent and final vote will take place July 30, according to Constance Farrell, communications director for Horvath.