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Yamada Campaign Headquarters
187 Butcher Rd
Vacaville, CA 95687 (map)
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What people are saying about Mariko Yamada
"Mariko has always stepped up for the LGBTI community and we know she's the candidate who will do the most to promote equality and civil rights for all Californians. She doesn't just talk the talk or walk the walk; she usually leads the walk!"
Support Mariko's Campaign!
Biography
Democratic Candidate for the California Assembly
(8th District)
Social Worker (MSW, University of Southern California, 1974)
Chair, California Democratic Party 8th Assembly District (2002-04)
Chair, Yolo County Democratic Central Committee (1998-2000)
Yolo County Supervisor (Chair of the Board in 2007)
30 Years of Public Service & Forging New Partnerships
- District 4 Director, Yolo County (1999 - 2003)
- EEO/AA Officer, San Diego County Dept. of Social Services (1989 to 1994)
- Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Commerce (1982-1987)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 1980 Undercount Reduction Campaign (1977-1982)
- Assistant Deputy County Supervisor, Los Angeles County Supervisor Edmund D. Edelman (1975 -1977)
Core Issues:
Healthcare reform: healthcare reform emphasizing community-based rather than institutional care must be a priority for state leaders. The achievement of universal, single-payer healthcare will go a long way towards resolving labor disputes and ensuring that small businesses, working families and all in California thrive.
Social Services: housing, transportation, social, health and mental health services, employment, education, recreation, and caregiver support for adults, seniors and persons with disabilities need to be integrated.
Returning Iraq war veterans in particular will continue to be a major challenge for service providers as their needs impact an already strained services network – our veterans deserve special attention.
Investment in prevention and primary interventions will reduce costly “back-end” services in all systems-of-care and help the state budget limited resources more effectively.
Smart Land Use & Infrastructure Investment:infrastructure issues, including transportation and paratransit services, fostering development of more affordable and accessible housing, flood protection and disaster preparedness must be a major priority for the state.
Discourage sprawl through preservation of agriculture and open space with specific measures such as the Williamson Act.
Specific Education Reform: help teachers by creating a classroom environment that allows them to teach through meeting the need for more school social workers. By addressing the social and economic problems affecting children and families, we can help reduce classroom disruptions that prevent learning and often lead to school drop out.
BIOGRAPHY
Mariko Yamada is a Democratic candidate for California’s 8th Assembly District, comprised of portions of Solano and Yolo counties and the cities of Benicia, Davis, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, West Sacramento, Winters and Woodland.
Mariko currently serves on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, representing a portion of the City of Davis and surrounding unincorporated county lands. She has consistently fought for the protection of civil rights, the preservation of open space and agricultural land, and the inclusion of underserved communities in our educational system, economy and political process. Her education and experience as a social worker drives her leadership on issues affecting the poor, elderly and disabled.
Prior to appointment and reelection to the Board of Supervisors, Mariko served as District Director to former Yolo County Supervisor Dave Rosenberg. Mariko's experience includes a decade in Washington, D.C. in federal service, first with the U.S. Census Bureau a working on the undercount reduction "campaign" of the 1980 Census and then as an investigator with the Office of the Secretary, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Commerce. During her "D.C. days", Mariko co-produced and co-hosted "Gold Mountain, D.C.", a jazz and information show on WPFW 89.3 FM, one of the Pacifica Foundation radio affiliates. Classic R&B music remains one of her passions.
Mariko was born in Denver, Colorado on October 23, 1950 after her family's release from the Manzanar War Relocation Center, one of ten such Japanese American internment camps established during World War II. She attended inner city public schools in Denver, and in June 1972, was the first in her family to graduate from college, earning her B. A. in psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder with an emphasis in the special mental health needs of Asian Americans. This interest brought her to Los Angeles, and in June 1974, she earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Southern California, specializing in community organizing, planning and administration.
She and her husband of 24 years, Janlee Wong, also a social worker and current Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter reside in Davis. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Meilee, a 2007 Alumna of USC and Midori, a Senior at UCSD.
