Redistricting: Bad news for J-Town

The latest Redistricting map for the Supervisor Districts in San Francisco is BAD news for J-Town. It places J-Town north of Geary in District 2 and south of Geary to remain in District 5.

1. J-Town does not start north of Geary Boulevard; it starts from Ellis Street where Rosa Parks Elementary School and the Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program are located. Many Nikkei live south of Geary. It extends north to at least Pine Street.

2. Our “community of interest” historically is with the African American community and certainly not with the communities in Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Marina and Sea Cliff.

3. J-Town’s interests will not be high on the agenda for a supervisor representing the Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Marina and Sea Cliff.

4. I recommend that District 2 include the areas east of Arguello, i.e. Laurel Heights, Jordan Park and Francisco Heights.

5. Placing the border at Geary Boulevard will split J-Town in half and dilute the Japantown community influence at the Board of Supervisors.

6. There are many other Asians, i.e. Koreans and Chinese, who live in the same J-Town area and will have their political influence equally diluted by drawing the District 5 northern border at Geary Boulevard.

The Japantown Better Neighborhood Organizing Committee will provide more information soon.

For more information and meeting dates see, http://sfgov2.org/index.aspx’page=2622.

Hiroshi Fukuda is the board president of Konko Church of San Francisco. The views expressed in the preceding commentary are not necessarily those of the Nichi Bei Weekly.