San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and much of the mainstream media credited his turn to the West -- to the city's staunch Republican white voters -- for his landslide reelection. But Brown also forged a precedent-setting new coalition made up of Chinese immigrants and African Americans. PNS' New California Media reporters tracked the ethnic vote on election day in a heavily Chinese precinct and in an inner city neighborhood where most young black residents can't vote. Song Xiang is a reporter for NCMonline. Charles Jones is a 22-year-old father of two and writes for YO! Youth Outlook, PNS' monthly youth newspaper.

WHY CHINESE WENT FOR WILLIE BROWN
BY SONG XIANG, PACIFIC NEWS SERVICE

SAN FRANCISCO -- Chinese American voters threw their support in a big way in the mayoral runoff to Willie Brown, the victor.

Exit poll interviews with Chinese-speaking blue-collar immigrants who have lived in the United States for ten to 20 years show why.

Most said the fact that Brown's opponent, Tom Ammiano, is openly gay, did not matter, although one woman was frank about her concern. "I don't want my children to grow up in a city run by a homosexual," said Mukun Chen, a 36-year old mother of two employed at a garment factory. Sensing the political incorrectness of her opinion, she adds her feeling that Ammiano is "contemptuous of us Chinese."

Chen's may be among the sharper interpretations, but the Chinese American voters surveyed at a polling station on Holloway Street near San Francisco City College generally expressed the same idea: that Ammiano ignored them. They say he did not try to communicate with the community and is not mindful of their concerns. They say he sends the message that he would rather have nothing to do with them.

Brown, on the other hand, seemed to have been full of attractive qualities lacking in Ammiano. Mr. Lee, a computer technician in his thirties who does not want to give his full name, said he thought Brown cared a lot about the Chinese and loves to communicate with people. Lee said he often hears Brown on the Cantonese morning talk show at FM1400, a program which wields considerable influence on San Francisco's working Chinese, who are often too busy to read newspapers.

"What impressed me is that Brown always took pains to address concerns raised by listeners who called in," said Lee.

The runoff appears to have had a galvanizing effect on Chinese American voters, who spoke with striking assuredness and gusto. Having only two candidates who were the north and south poles when it comes to the Chinese American community appears to have created a sense of urgency. Many said not only the welfare, but also the dignity of the Chinese community was at stake, and their individual votes surely counted.

"If you don't vote, people ignore you," said Hin Chung, a 42-year old deliveryman. A 40-year old woman who prepares airplane food added, "You must vote to be respected in this town."

Chinese Americans did not hold Brown, the incumbent, responsible for widespread complaints such as those about worsened traffic congestion during his term. "It's the cars from the East and South Bay that cause congestion," said Chung. "I'm happy I'm not living further south, like Sunnyvale."

YOUNG INNER CITY RESIDENTS CARE BUT FEEL JIM CROW'D
BY CHARLES JONES, PACIFIC NEWS SERVICE

SAN FRANCISCO -- On the outskirts of this city's financial district and two blocks from the new gold dipped City Hall lies the T.L., or "The L's" -- a social darkside where crime, crack and unfed mouths abound and where everyone has seen someone die. I used to be a resident but at the first opportunity to leave, I ran. Whenever I return (I left several friends and relatives behind), I comfort myself by repeating "It's not home anymore, it's not home anymore."

So when I came back to ask other young men for their take on this week's mayoral runoff, my questions focused less on the "who you gonna vote for" than on how they saw their place in city politics. What I found was that no matter their ethnic or economic status -- I spoke to everyone from African American street-corner pharmaceutical distributors to burgeoning Arab-American shopkeepers -- most had strong opinions but had already been Jim Crowed into inactivity via felony convictions. Others, not bitten by the felony bug, had little or no interest in politics at all.

Take Todd Shaw, 24 (no relation to the famous rapper Too Short), who was recently politically deactivated by his first (and hopefully only) felony conviction. Though he can't vote now he has voted before, and has an interesting philosophy concerning his previous political life. "I can't vote no more, but when I could I voted for affirmative action, and I voted for medical marijuana, and I voted for Willie Brown." When asked who he would have voted for were he able to vote, Shaw said Brown because he thought Brown was "the real McCoy" and he didn't trust the unknown. He added, however, that he doubted his vote would mean anything unless it was part of the majority.

As a matter of fact, everyone I interviewed felt the same way. "The power is in numbers," says Elijah, 24, who has never voted and seemed adamant in exclaiming that he never would. Still, his preference in city government is Willie Brown and while he said he didn't really care who the next mayor or district attorney is, he'd like to see "Da Maya" get the chance to make good on the campaign promises he made last time around, "like Bill Clinton." When asked why he wasn't voting, he said "because I'm in a position where it really doesn't affect me what they do."

A position shared by nearly ever young person I spoke to -- which shocked and amazed even me, who forfeited any party affiliation after voting to legalize medical marijuana and winning, only to see the federal court throw my vote back in my face in the biggest "who the hell do you think you are?" since Jim Crow laws. Martin, 24, an Arab American who owns a record store in the district, feels the same way. "Nothing affects me, nothing political at least...Besides, I really don't have enough time or interest."

Although all those I interviewed preferred Willie over his challenger, it was more for the devil they do know over the one they don't. Those who felt any political attachment to the city's politics were few and far between. One resident stated that he doesn't want to lose the only black mayor the city has ever had. But since he doesn't follow politics, he decided not to vote at all. He will, however, vote in 2000 against Prop. 21, the Gang Violence and Juvenile Crime Prevention Act, because, he explained, it directly affects him.

Which is why, I assume, most people do vote -- because they feel that the laws passed by local, state or federal government either help or hinder their pursuit of personal happiness. Thus, the lack of political activity from young black men, all Tenderloin residents: they don't see themselves attaining happiness. Hell, they're struggling just to attain rent.

Anthony, 18, the only white dude I talked to, doesn't believe his vote holds any authority, but he hopes to be part of the majority next March when Prop 21 is on the ballot. Oddly, the youngest of those I interviewed has found a personal stake in the game, a reason to play. Come next year, we'll be teammates.