Roberto Hernandez, a candidate for the District 9 city council seat in San Francisco, is passionate about championing grassroots communities. With a commitment to serving local residents for over 50 years, he emphasizes the need to advocate for the Chinese community in his district. His goal is to secure more municipal resources for both the Asian and Latinx populations to tackle pressing issues like public safety, housing, homelessness, and the challenges facing small businesses.
District 9, located in the southeastern part of San Francisco, includes neighborhoods such as Bernal, Inner Mission, and Potrero. This area is a rich tapestry of diverse ethnicities and cultures. Although Chinese residents make up just 10% of the population, many come from low-income families requiring additional support.
In an interview on October 8, Roberto drew parallels between the Latinx and Chinese communities, emphasizing the importance of mutual support. Over the years, he has forged strong connections within the Chinese community, organizing food distribution events for low-income families and initiatives to combat anti-Asian hate.
As the grandson of immigrants, Roberto reflects on his grandmother being the first in their family to arrive in San Francisco. He notes how much the city has changed, with skyrocketing housing prices and living costs pushing blue-collar workers and average families out. He warns that if nobody advocates for these groups, San Francisco risks losing its foundational values, turning the “American Dream” that once inspired countless immigrant families into a “nightmare.”
Through various community initiatives, Roberto founded the “Mission District Food Center” during the pandemic to assist immigrant families who lost jobs and couldn’t access benefits, distributing food to over 9,000 families each week. He also pioneered the nation’s first rental assistance program, raising funds to help thousands of families avoid eviction.
To ensure the American Dream doesn’t morph into a nightmare, Roberto is dedicated to pushing for enhanced protections for grassroots workers, housing policy reform, and the enactment of anti-discrimination legislation. He firmly believes that every immigrant family deserves the opportunity to create a brighter future for their children, just as his grandmother did. “I will fight for every struggling family at the grassroots level,” Roberto declares, “because their dreams are my dreams.”
