The Cupertino Courier

City Council candidates John Statton, Sandra James, Steve Haze, Andrea Harris and Don Burnett.

Voters put diversity on agenda

By Pam Marino

One of the primary issues voters are discussing with City Council candidates as they go door to door and attend election get-togethers is Cupertino's growing cultural diversity.

"Everywhere I go, the subject of racial tensions comes up," candidate Sandy James said last week. "I do believe the ethnic makeup of this city has changed dramatically in a very few years, and it may be the speed and quantity that has frightened people."

James is a human resources consultant who sometimes aids companies managing change in the workplace. She said she believes City Council members can act as role models in helping residents gain understanding and overcome fear of changes.

"I do believe city leaders have to be a part of bringing everyone together," James said. Residents have lots of questions, she added, and "we as a city need to provide a safe place to ask questions."

Andrea Harris said the city needs to help educate citizens about the various cultures.

"Mostly it's an education process; when people are different from one another and they don't know each other's customs, there tends to be a reticence about mixing," Harris said. "I don't see that among the children, the children are totally colorblind. ... We have to get the parents' generation to mix more."

Harris suggested that the City Council integrate the city's commissions and boards, so that a variety of perspectives can be heard. She also suggested that Leadership Cupertino, a leadership training program, actively seek people from various cultures so that they can become Cupertino's future leaders.

All five candidates in the Nov. 4 election--Harris, James, Don Burnett, John Statton and Steven Haze--agree that city government needs to play a strong role in helping Cupertino's cultures communicate with each other and come to understand and appreciate one another.

"It's a nontraditional area of government, but its a real important thing for our city to play an active role in, because a strong community, a friendly community, is one where you feel like you're surrounded by friends, not strangers," Statton said.

Four of the candidates--Burnett, Harris, James and Statton-- participated in discussions about cultural diversity sponsored by the city and the Public Dialogue Consortium (PDC) over the last year. A steering committee that came out of those discussions, the Cupertino Citizens Cross Cultural Consortium or 5Cs, is hosting a similar discussion tonight (Oct. 8) from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Quinlan Community Center.

Statton said it's programs such as the discussion forums that he wants the city to continue in order to bring diverse cultures together.

"As I've been walking door to door, people are generally of good will. ... There's really a need to help form friendships," Statton said.

Other programs Statton said he believes bring residents together include the citywide garage sale that took place recently, the Fourth of July celebration and the city's disaster-preparedness program.

Burnett also said existing city programs are already helping. He said when he was mayor last year he was impressed as he looked out among a sea of people at the Fourth of July celebration. "There were all kinds of Americans out there," he said, adding that he finds Cupertino's diversity fascinating. "It's like a world tour without crossing the city limits."

The city needs to "create a climate of tolerance and understanding, and disavow racism when it comes up," Burnett said.

He said he is planning to meet with the school districts to suggest a curriculum he found called "Teaching Tolerance."

Steve Haze praised the work of the PDC and the 5Cs, but he also suggested that the City Council form its own community diversity commission, much like existing commissions such as the Traffic Safety Commission or the Fine Arts Commission. The diversity commission would meet once or twice a month, Haze said.

Haze said he has leadership experience in diversity issues that he could bring to the City Council. His church, St. Jude Episcopal Church, where he serves as one of the leaders, has been facing many of the issues of diversity in its relationship with the Holy Light Congregation, which shares St. Jude's campus and has many members who are recent immigrants..

Haze said he has also been involved in Hispanic issues through his involvement in the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail and the preservation of the Bernal Adobe in San Jose.

[ Back to Contents Page | Cupertino Courier Home Page | Archives ]