Michael Woo
Encyclopedia
Michael K. Woo, also known as Mike Woo, (born 1951) is an educator who was a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1985 to 1993. He is now dean of the College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
, the son of Wilbur and Beth Woo, native Chinese. Wilbur left the family's ancestral village of Hoy Ping, China
, in 1940 to study at UCLA and had to stay in the United States during World War II, while Beth remained in China under Japanese occupation with two young daughters, Pat (later Wong) and Janice (later Chin). The family was reunited after the war, in 1946, and settled in a five-bedroom Monterey Park
hillside home. Younger daughter Janice had contracted polio and needed seven operations before she could walk without help. The Woos had three more children born in the United States—Michael, Elaine and Pamela, who had Down's syndrome.
Wilbur and his father, David Kitman Woo, began a produce business in a spot at the Ninth Street Market vacated by a Japanese man who was interned during the Second World War
. After arriving in the United States, Beth Woo became the bookkeeper for the family business. In the 1960s, Wilbur Woo and friends chartered Cathay Bank
. the first bank in Chinatown
. He studied banking and later became a vice-president of the organization.
which is rendered Hú Shàojī in the Pinyin
orthography and Wu4 Siu6 Gei1 in the Jyutping
romanization.
under a special program for gifted students. When he was a senior, his invitation on behalf of a student group to the editor of the UCLA Daily Bruin to talk at Alhambra High was vetoed by a department chairman who feared the editor "might speak on a controversial subject" that could be misunderstood outside the campus.
Young Woo chose to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz
, he said, to get away from his family and into an unstructured environment. He graduated with honors
in 1973 and earned his master's degree in city planning two years later from the University of California, Berkeley
, with a thesis on the origins of regional government
in the San Francisco Bay Area
.
of Wisconsin and in the presidential primary campaign of New York Mayor John V. Lindsay.
in 1973. He took a leave in December 1980 to run for the City Council the next year, and he moved from Alhambra to Silver Lake to do so.
on the Los Angeles City Council
, from 1985 to 1993, being elected in Los Angeles City Council District 13, which in that era (1981), had about 11% Asian voters and 15% Latino. Two of three residents were renters, one of five were over age 65 and about 10% to 20% were homosexual. As the Los Angeles Times described the district, it
Woo's two electoral battles against incumbent Peggy Stevenson in District 13 were marked by calumny on both sides. Endorsed by Police Chief Daryl Gates
, Stevenson won her first fight against Woo in 1981 by a vote of 20,162 to 13,018, but Woo was victorious in 1985 by 16.417 to 12,052.
1981. In the 1981 race, Stevenson jettisoned the volunteers that had guided her primary campaign and hired Butcher-Forde Consulting of Orange County for the final vote, which was criticized for having "racial overtones." Even her primary campaign had been criticized for sending out fliers asking Republican voters if they wanted the candidate supported by the Mexican American Political Association
and the Asian Democratic Caucus "or Councilwoman Peggy Stevenson." She denied they were meant to raise racial questions but simply to point up Woo's "ultraliberal" support.
At one point, a debate between Stevenson and Woo "exploded into a verbal brawl" when the former, 56, attempted to turn Republican Wilbur Woo, the father of 29-year-old Democrat Michael Woo, into the major issue of the campaign. She called Wilbur "a wealthy banker who doesn't even live in Los Angeles, let alone our district," and who "has put together a $300,000 bankroll from his associates and from borrowers of his bank to finance a totally immoral and untruthful campaign against me." The Los Angeles Times reported:
1985. The 1985 race was an expensive one—expected to be a million dollars for both candidates together. Stevenson was supported by "some of the city's most prominent political fund-raisers" and the "real estate
industry," while Woo could again count on his banker-businessman father, who provided about half of the $437,000 raised for the campaign. It was said that Woo won the election because of his "family wealth, ethnic pride, younger voters and festering discontent with an incumbent officeholder," as well as a growing recognition "that the Asian constituency is becoming an important force in California politics."
Stevenson blamed a "Westside political organization" headed by U.S. Representatives Henry Waxman
and Howard Berman
for her loss. In an "unusual rebuke," the Times reported, her fellow Council Members Zev Yaroslavsky
and Marvin Braude
had endorsed Woo over her, "partly because they said she was too supportive of projects in their districts backed by big developers who contributed to her campaign." When seated, Woo became at age 33 the youngest member of the council.
Redistricting. After several attempts at redrawing councilmanic districts in accordance with a U.S. court order to provide for increased Latino representation, the City Council in 1986 adopted a plan that stripped Chinatown
, Echo Park and adjoining areas from Woo's 13th District but maintained his power base in Hollywood and Silver Lake and also cut north into Studio City.
2001. After running unsuccessfully for mayor in 1995, Woo attempted a comeback to his old City Council seat in 2001, but was defeated by Eric Garcetti
.
, who won in a victory marked by "deep racial divisions." In the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots
, Woo and Bill Clinton
, who was running for President, endorsed one another's candidacies. Riordan garnered 54 percent of votes to Woo's 46 percent.
Woo ran for California Secretary of State
in 1994. He lost to Tony Miller.
. His primary interest is transportation issues, particularly in China, where he started a Smart Growth China program.
President Clinton appointed him Western States Director of the Corporation for National and Community Service
.
and University of California, Los Angeles
. He is now dean of the College of Environmental Design
at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
.
----
Family
Woo was born October 8, 1951, in Los Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, the son of Wilbur and Beth Woo, native Chinese. Wilbur left the family's ancestral village of Hoy Ping, China
Kaiping
Kaiping : Hoi3 Pen6) or Hoi Ping is a county-level city in Guangdong Province, southern China. It has a population of 680,000 as of 2003 and an area of 1,659 km². The locals speak a variation of the Taishan dialect.-Administration:...
, in 1940 to study at UCLA and had to stay in the United States during World War II, while Beth remained in China under Japanese occupation with two young daughters, Pat (later Wong) and Janice (later Chin). The family was reunited after the war, in 1946, and settled in a five-bedroom Monterey Park
Monterey Park, California
Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
hillside home. Younger daughter Janice had contracted polio and needed seven operations before she could walk without help. The Woos had three more children born in the United States—Michael, Elaine and Pamela, who had Down's syndrome.
Wilbur and his father, David Kitman Woo, began a produce business in a spot at the Ninth Street Market vacated by a Japanese man who was interned during the Second World War
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
. After arriving in the United States, Beth Woo became the bookkeeper for the family business. In the 1960s, Wilbur Woo and friends chartered Cathay Bank
Cathay Bank
Cathay Bank is a Chinese American bank based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1962, it has since expanded its network throughout California and into Massachusetts, New York, Texas, Washington, Illinois, and New Jersey...
. the first bank in Chinatown
Chinatown, Los Angeles
Chinatown in Los Angeles, California is located in the city's downtown area. Built in 1938, it is the second Chinatown to be constructed in Los Angeles. The original historic Chinatown was founded in the late 19th century, but was demolished to make room for Union Station, the city's major rail...
. He studied banking and later became a vice-president of the organization.
Chinese name
Michael Woo's Chinese name is ,which is rendered Hú Shàojī in the Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
orthography and Wu4 Siu6 Gei1 in the Jyutping
Jyutping
Jyutping is a romanization system for Cantonese developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong in 1993. Its formal name is The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme...
romanization.
Education
Woo went to Alhambra High School, and at the age of sixteen he attended summer classes at California State College at Los AngelesCalifornia State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system...
under a special program for gifted students. When he was a senior, his invitation on behalf of a student group to the editor of the UCLA Daily Bruin to talk at Alhambra High was vetoed by a department chairman who feared the editor "might speak on a controversial subject" that could be misunderstood outside the campus.
Young Woo chose to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
, he said, to get away from his family and into an unstructured environment. He graduated with honors
Honors student
An honors student is a person recognized for achieving high grades or high marks in their course work.Honors students may refer to# Students recognized for their academic achievement on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as honor rolls, varying from school to school, and...
in 1973 and earned his master's degree in city planning two years later from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, with a thesis on the origins of regional government
Council of Governments
Councils of governments are regional bodies that exist throughout the United States. They are also sometimes called regional councils, regional commissions, regional planning commissions, planning district commissions, and development districts...
in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
Volunteering
As the only son in his family, Michael Woo said he was brought up "with the expectation that I would have a leadership role of my own"; he worked in summer 1970 as a volunteer in the office of Assemblyman David Roberti and later for Democratic Senator William ProxmireWilliam Proxmire
Edward William Proxmire was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senator from Wisconsin from 1957 to 1989.-Personal life:...
of Wisconsin and in the presidential primary campaign of New York Mayor John V. Lindsay.
Senate staff
Woo joined the staff of David Roberti after the latter was elected to the California State SenateCalifornia State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
in 1973. He took a leave in December 1980 to run for the City Council the next year, and he moved from Alhambra to Silver Lake to do so.
City Council
Woo was the first—and so far the only—Asian AmericanAsian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
on the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
, from 1985 to 1993, being elected in Los Angeles City Council District 13, which in that era (1981), had about 11% Asian voters and 15% Latino. Two of three residents were renters, one of five were over age 65 and about 10% to 20% were homosexual. As the Los Angeles Times described the district, it
stretched like a giant hot dog from Highland Park on the east to Laurel CanyonLaurel CanyonLaurel Canyon may refer to:*Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California, an area in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles*Laurel Canyon Boulevard, a street that connects the San Fernando Valley to Hollywood that passes through Laurel Canyon...
on the west . . . from the seediness of Hollywood BoulevardHollywood Boulevard-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
to the rustic beauty of Mount Washington, from poverty in "Frogtown" in the Elysian Valley and East Hollywood to the wealth of Laurel CanyonLaurel CanyonLaurel Canyon may refer to:*Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California, an area in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles*Laurel Canyon Boulevard, a street that connects the San Fernando Valley to Hollywood that passes through Laurel Canyon...
, from the self-contained isolation in Atwater just 15 minutes from downtownDowntown Los AngelesDowntown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
to the pop sophistication of Sunset BoulevardSunset BoulevardSunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
.
Elections
See also List of Los Angeles municipal election returns, 1981 and after.Woo's two electoral battles against incumbent Peggy Stevenson in District 13 were marked by calumny on both sides. Endorsed by Police Chief Daryl Gates
Daryl Gates
Daryl Gates was the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1978 to 1992.-Early life:...
, Stevenson won her first fight against Woo in 1981 by a vote of 20,162 to 13,018, but Woo was victorious in 1985 by 16.417 to 12,052.
1981. In the 1981 race, Stevenson jettisoned the volunteers that had guided her primary campaign and hired Butcher-Forde Consulting of Orange County for the final vote, which was criticized for having "racial overtones." Even her primary campaign had been criticized for sending out fliers asking Republican voters if they wanted the candidate supported by the Mexican American Political Association
Mexican American Political Association
Mexican American Political Association is an organization that promotes the interests of Mexican-Americans, Mexicans, Latinos, Chicanos, Hispanics and Latino Economic Refugees in the United States.-History:...
and the Asian Democratic Caucus "or Councilwoman Peggy Stevenson." She denied they were meant to raise racial questions but simply to point up Woo's "ultraliberal" support.
At one point, a debate between Stevenson and Woo "exploded into a verbal brawl" when the former, 56, attempted to turn Republican Wilbur Woo, the father of 29-year-old Democrat Michael Woo, into the major issue of the campaign. She called Wilbur "a wealthy banker who doesn't even live in Los Angeles, let alone our district," and who "has put together a $300,000 bankroll from his associates and from borrowers of his bank to finance a totally immoral and untruthful campaign against me." The Los Angeles Times reported:
The candidates tried to outdo each other as champions of gay rights and rent controlRent controlRent control refers to laws or ordinances that set price controls on the renting of residential housing. It functions as a price ceiling.Rent control exists in approximately 40 countries around the world...
. Woo ridiculed economic development in the district and Stevenson said she had brought in one billion dollars worth of construction in four years. Woo said he'd like to see proof.
1985. The 1985 race was an expensive one—expected to be a million dollars for both candidates together. Stevenson was supported by "some of the city's most prominent political fund-raisers" and the "real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
industry," while Woo could again count on his banker-businessman father, who provided about half of the $437,000 raised for the campaign. It was said that Woo won the election because of his "family wealth, ethnic pride, younger voters and festering discontent with an incumbent officeholder," as well as a growing recognition "that the Asian constituency is becoming an important force in California politics."
Stevenson blamed a "Westside political organization" headed by U.S. Representatives Henry Waxman
Henry Waxman
Henry Arnold Waxman is the U.S. Representative for , serving in Congress since 1975. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is considered to be one of the most influential liberal members of Congress...
and Howard Berman
Howard Berman
Howard Lawrence Berman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He earlier served in the California State Assembly from 1974 to 1982, and as the U.S...
for her loss. In an "unusual rebuke," the Times reported, her fellow Council Members Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky is a Los Angeles County politician. He served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1975 until 1994, when he was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. He was preceded in both offices by Edmund D...
and Marvin Braude
Marvin Braude
Marvin Braude was a member of the Los Angeles City Council for 32 years, between 1965 and 1997—the third-longest-serving council member in the history of the city...
had endorsed Woo over her, "partly because they said she was too supportive of projects in their districts backed by big developers who contributed to her campaign." When seated, Woo became at age 33 the youngest member of the council.
Redistricting. After several attempts at redrawing councilmanic districts in accordance with a U.S. court order to provide for increased Latino representation, the City Council in 1986 adopted a plan that stripped Chinatown
Chinatown, Los Angeles
Chinatown in Los Angeles, California is located in the city's downtown area. Built in 1938, it is the second Chinatown to be constructed in Los Angeles. The original historic Chinatown was founded in the late 19th century, but was demolished to make room for Union Station, the city's major rail...
, Echo Park and adjoining areas from Woo's 13th District but maintained his power base in Hollywood and Silver Lake and also cut north into Studio City.
2001. After running unsuccessfully for mayor in 1995, Woo attempted a comeback to his old City Council seat in 2001, but was defeated by Eric Garcetti
Eric Garcetti
Eric Michael Garcetti is an American municipal politician. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council. He serves as its President and represents the 13th District. He is the son of the former Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early...
.
Positions
- Film, 1985. Woo publicly censured the MGM-UA film Year of the Dragon, a graphic movie about a crime war and violent youth gangs in New York's Chinatown. He was reported to be negotiating a public disclaimer that would be issued by the studio concerning the picture.
- Sanctuary, 1986. In his first major triumph, he succeeded in maneuvering the City Council into declaring that Los Angeles would be considered a "city of sanctuarySanctuary movementThe Sanctuary Movement was a religious and political campaign that began in the early 1980s to provide safe-haven for Central American refugees fleeing civil conflict...
" for political refugees, but the resulting public outcry forced the council to reverse itself and repeal the entire resolution. - Light rail, 1988. Woo and Mayor Tom BradleyTom BradleyThomas or Tom Bradley is the name of:*Tom Bradley , mayor of Los Angeles, California*Tom Bradley , American novelist and essayist...
wrote the June referendum ballot arguments in favor of establishing a light-rail lineLight railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
into the San Fernando Valley. Councilman Ernani BernardiErnani BernardiErnani Bernardi , known also as Noni Bernardi, was a big-band musician turned politician in Los Angeles, California. He represented District 7 on the City Council there from 1961 to 1993—at 32 years the second-longest-serving council member in the history of the city...
of the Valley was opposed. - Rodney King, 1991. He was the City Council leader in a fight to oust Police Chief Daryl GatesDaryl GatesDaryl Gates was the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1978 to 1992.-Early life:...
in the wake of the beating of Rodney G. King by police officers.
Candidacies
Woo left his council seat in 1993 to run for mayor that year against Richard RiordanRichard Riordan
Richard J. Riordan is a Republican politician from California, U.S.A. who served as the California Secretary for Education from 2003–2005 and as the 39th Mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1993–2001...
, who won in a victory marked by "deep racial divisions." In the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots
1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
, Woo and Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, who was running for President, endorsed one another's candidacies. Riordan garnered 54 percent of votes to Woo's 46 percent.
Woo ran for California Secretary of State
California Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U.S. state. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the California State Archives, as well as chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to four year terms, concurrent with the other constitutional...
in 1994. He lost to Tony Miller.
Other
Woo chaired the City Planning Commission, until 1993. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, which he chaired, until 1963. His main focus has been incentivizing for transit use. He also teaches a course in Urban Planning and Development at the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. His primary interest is transportation issues, particularly in China, where he started a Smart Growth China program.
President Clinton appointed him Western States Director of the Corporation for National and Community Service
Corporation For National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, and other national service initiatives...
.
Academia
Woo previously taught at Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. He is now dean of the College of Environmental Design
Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design
The California State Polytechnic University, Pomona College Environmental Design also known as the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design is one of Cal Poly Pomona's seven colleges. The college houses over 1,600 students; making it one of largest environmental design programs in the...
at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or Cal Poly Pomona, is a public university located in Pomona, California, United States...
.
Further reading
- Archinect interview with Michael Woo
- LA Political History
- Peggy Stevenson mailers from her 1981 campaign
- Woo's survey of his eight years on the City Council, Los Angeles Times, May 30, 1993
- Anti-Woo election flier by Riordan for Mayor Committee
- Second anti-Woo election flier by Riordan for Mayor Committee
- Streetsblog interview, May 21, 2009 With photo
----