Michael Woo

Michael Woo
Woo in 2009
Dean of the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design
In office 2009–2019

Woo previously taught at Harvard University and University of California, Los Angeles. ^[11] He was dean of the College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, retiring in 2019.

Los Angeles City Council

Woo's official City Council portrait in 1986.

Elections

1981

Woo first ran for District 13 on the council in 1981, against incumbent Peggy Stevenson. The aggressive race was controversial for the supposedly racialized rhetoric used by Stevenson against Woo. Her primary campaign sent out fliers which asked Republican voters if they wanted the candidate supported by the Mexican American Political Association and the Asian Democratic Caucus "or Councilwoman Peggy Stevenson". She denied they were meant to raise racial questions but simply to point up Woo's "ultraliberal" support. ^[12] Stevenson was also endorsed by controversial police chief Daryl Gates, which has been debated as being either an asset or a liability. Stevenson won the election with 20,162 votes to Woo's 13,018. ^[13]

1985

The 1985 race in District 13, again between Councilwoman Peggy Stevenson and Woo, was notoriously expensive and cost a reported one million dollars. Stevenson was supported by "some of the city's most prominent political fund-raisers" and the "real estate industry," while Woo's Republican banker father provided about half of the $437,000 raised for his campaign. ^{[4] [14]} Zev Yaroslavsky and Marvin Braude, Los Angeles City Councilmembers expected to endorse Stevenson, endorsed Woo. ^{[15] [16]}

Woo was victorious in the race, with 16,417 votes to Stevenson's 12,052. ^[17] The Los Angeles times credited the win to "family wealth, ethnic pride, younger voters and festering discontent with an incumbent officeholder". ^[18] Stevenson blamed a "Westside political organization" headed by U.S. Representatives Henry Waxman and Howard Berman for her loss.

Tenure

• Film, 1985. Woo publicly censured the MGM-UA film Year of the Dragon, a graphic movie about a crime war and violent youth gangs in New York's Chinatown. He was reported to be negotiating a public disclaimer that would be issued by the studio concerning the picture. ^[19]

• Sanctuary, 1986. In his first major triumph, he succeeded in maneuvering the City Council into declaring that Los Angeles would be considered a "city of sanctuary" for political refugees, but the resulting public outcry forced the council to reverse itself and repeal the entire resolution. ^[20]

• Light rail, 1988. Woo and Mayor Tom Bradley wrote the June referendum ballot arguments in favor of establishing a light-rail line into the San Fernando Valley. Councilman Ernani Bernardi of the Valley was opposed. ^[21]

• Rodney King, 1991. He was the City Council leader in a fight to oust Police Chief Daryl Gates in the wake of the beating of Rodney G. King by police officers. ^[22]

Later campaigns

1993 Los Angeles mayoral campaign

Woo left his council seat in 1993 to run for mayor that year against Richard Riordan. ^[23] Woo was endorsed by Bill Clinton, who was running for president at the time. Riordan garnered 54 percent of votes to Woo's 46 percent.^{[ citation needed ]}

1994 California Secretary of State campaign

Woo ran for California Secretary of State in 1994. He lost to Tony Miller. ^[24]

2001 Los Angeles City Council campaign

Woo attempted a comeback to his old City Council seat in 2001, but was defeated by Eric Garcetti by 1,000 votes, as Woo garnered 48% of the vote. ^[25]

References

1. "Michael Woo, College of Environmental Design Dean, Retires After 10 Years | PolyCentric".
2. Nelson, Valerie J. (November 15, 2012). "Wilbur K. Woo dies at 96; a leader of L.A.'s Chinese community". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 1, 2012.
3. Elaine Woo "Asian identity crisis fades to worries of everyday life", Los Angeles Times, 28 April 2012
4. Gary Libman, "Woo Family's Road to Success Long and Not Always Smooth," Los Angeles Times, August 5, 1985, page E-1
5. "High School Youths Attending College," Los Angeles Times, July 21, 1968, page SG-B-12
6. Peyton Canary, "Faculty Vetoes Talk by Editor of UCLA paper," Los Angeles Times, January 17, 1969, page SG-8 With a photo of Woo.
7. Judith Michaelson, "Stevenson Ignores Foe but He's Hardly 'in a Corner,' " Los Angeles Times, April 5, 1981, page C-1
8. Frank Clifford, "Woo Forces Stevenson Into a Runoff," Los Angeles Times, April 10, 1985, page 1
9. 胡紹基出任加州工藝大學院長, Wang Shanyan, "Michael Woo Served as President of the California University of Technology," World Journal, July 17, 2009 Archived April 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (in Chinese, with photo)]
10. "Los Angeles Chinatown Business Council Board of Directors" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
11. "Merging Identity," New York Times, May 30, 1996, screen 6
12. Susan Schmidt, "Stevenson-Woo City Council Campaign a Study in Styles," Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, May 22, 1981, page A-1
13. Kenneth Reich, "Gates' Support of Stevenson Draws Fire", Los Angeles Times, June 4, 1981, page D-4
14. "Contest Shapes Up as a Million-Dollar Battle," Los Angeles Times, May 20, 1985
15. Bill Boyarsky, "Woo Upsets Stevenson," Los Angeles Times, June 5, 1985, page 1
16. "The Region," Los Angeles Times, May 24. 1985
17. "Los Angeles Races and Measures", Los Angeles Times, June 5, 1985, page 1.
18. Frank Clifford, "Woo's Victory: Asians Come of Political Age," Los Angeles Times, June 6, 1985, page OC-1
19. John Horn, "MGM/UA May Insert 'Dragon' Disclaimer," Los Angeles Times, August 28, 1985, page SD-D-1
20. Victor Merina, "The Sanctuary Resolution," Los Angeles Times, February 18, 1986, page B-1 With photo of Woo.
21. Richard Simon, "Bradley, Woo to Write 'Pro' Light-Rail Ballot Argument," Los Angeles Times, March 9, 1988, page AV-8
22. Frank Clifford, Decision '93: A Look at the Elections in Los Angeles County," Los Angeles Times, April 11, 1993
23. Richard Simon, "Anglo Vote Carried Riordan to Victory," Los Angeles Times, June 10, 1993
24. Paul Jacobs and Jean Merl, "New Names, New Outlooks Emerge in Statewide Races," Los Angeles Times, June 9, 1994, page 3
25. Patrick McGreevey and Sue Fox, "Garcetti Defeats Woo," Los Angeles Times, June 6, 2001

External links

• Archinect interview with Michael Woo
• LA Political History
• Peggy Stevenson mailers from her 1981 campaign
• Woo's survey of his eight years on the City Council, Los Angeles Times, May 30, 1993
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Anti-Woo election flier by Riordan for Mayor Committee
• Second anti-Woo election flier by Riordan for Mayor Committee
• Streetsblog interview, May 21, 2009 With photo
• Interview with Michael Woo about the Chinese massacre of 1871, KPFA, Oct 27, 2021

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Preceded by Peggy Stevenson	Los Angeles City Council 13th District 1985–93	Succeeded by Jackie Goldberg