Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
After years of dealing with discrimination and racism, Joaquin Jimenez, a Mexican by birth, will be the first Latino immigrant to serve on the Half Moon Bay Council..
Little by little, the now California State University sociology graduate made the city his home, since he arrived there when he was just a child, and his passion for the city finally materialized when he won a seat in the last election on Nov. 3.
The 47-year-old Jimenez said he was humbled by the community's support and vowed to fight to represent everyone in Half Moon Bay, including those who have felt excluded in the past.
Proud of his Latino heritage and community, he said he will represent the voice of the Spanish-speaking community by "implementing their voice.
Currently, Joaquin works with Ayudando Latinos A Sonar, or ALAS, and has been a liaison for Puente de la Costa Sur, a community resource center and outreach coordinator for farmworkers.
In the past, he co-founded the city's Latino Advisory Council and has worked as a teacher in the Hatch School Immersion Program for the Cabrillo Unified School District.
He spent 15 years as a juvenile corrections officer in the San Mateo County Juvenile Probation Department.
This was Jimenez's first time running for political office, and with 62.76 percent of the vote, Jimenez defeated Adam Eisen.
On housing, the future city councillor will seek to identify locations for more affordable and sustainable space in the centre of the area, within walking distance of schools, shops, work and clinics.
He said the city is in contact with property owners in Half Moon Bay to look for possible new housing locations, although the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the search.
On agriculture and education, he said he wants to find a more sustainable way to farm and protect the environment for future generations, in addition to addressing low Latino graduation rates and improving educational inequities that lead to disadvantaged people living below the poverty line.
He also wants to have a conversation about implementing ethnic studies into the school's curriculum, and hopes to find trade school opportunities in the area to create the next generation of plumbers and electricians.
