Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Latino Wave Is Changing Fresno's Small-Town Political Culture
Joe-Mathews
By Joe Mathews
Published 5 years ago on
January 24, 2020

Share

Looking for California’s biggest wave? Try Fresno.
As Fresno emerges as the Golden State’s next great city, it’s also experiencing an opening up of its small-town political culture. At this transformation’s heart is the so-called “Brown Wave” — the emergence of local elected officials, who, like half of Fresno’s residents, are Latino.

Photo of Joe Mathews
Joe Mathews
Opinion

Fresno Mayoral Contest Is California’s Most Important Race

That’s why Fresno, the state’s geographic center, finds itself at its political center as well. The most important race in California’s March 3 elections probably won’t end up being the Democratic presidential primary. Instead, Fresno’s mayoral contest offers a referendum on the “Brown Wave” and of similar power shifts in California communities where white people traditionally held power and brown people did the hardest work.
The media adopted the inelegant term “Brown Wave” after Fresno’s 2018 municipal elections, which unexpectedly produced a four-member Latino majority on the seven-member city council. Those four politicians— Esmeralda Soria, Luis Chavez, Miguel Arias, and Nelson Esparza — represented a departure, and not just because of ethnicity. They are relatively young, well-educated professionals with more progressive and technocratic instincts than the pragmatic Republicans who have long governed Fresno.
Each council member emphasizes different issues, but as a group the “Brown Wave” politicians share a more urban perspective on Fresno. They argue that the city had too long neglected its older neighborhoods, which often lack parks and other necessities of 21st century California life. The majority was particularly critical of how services and economic development benefits went to established neighborhoods and companies.

Bigots Call Them ‘The Cartel’

Online and on talk radio, the council members have faced derision or nicknames (“The Cartel” or “The Squad”) grounded in bigotry about their ethnicity. (A meeting between two council members and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez inspired bitter complaints). But the council majority has ignored such insults, and pursued a pragmatic and ambitious agenda.

Each council member emphasizes different issues, but as a group the “Brown Wave” politicians share a more urban perspective on Fresno. They argue that the city had too long neglected its older neighborhoods, which often lack parks and other necessities of 21st century California life.
They already claim some successes. The council has put more money into parks, sidewalks, and tree trimming, and sought changes in road funding to put more dollars into neighborhoods with older streets. (You can already see some results on once-potholed streets near Chinatown). The council voted to relocate a rendering plant away from southwest Fresno neighborhoods, capped alcohol licenses to stop the saturation of liquor stores in lower-income neighborhoods, and imposed new regulations on motels, both to improve short-term housing and combat human trafficking.
In a move that’s relatively rare among local governments, they’ve made housing a priority, establishing a new housing trust fund. On homelessness, the new council has shifted away from the city’s traditional approach of pushing people out via anti-encampment laws by offering more services (through an agreement with the county) and establishing a better process for transitioning people to permanent housing.
Photo of an undercover cop approaching a suspected prostitute in a car
A more progressive Fresno City Council has joined with Mayor Lee Brand on efforts to combat human trafficking, force seedy motels to clean up their act, and cap liquor licenses in poor neighborhoods. (GV Wire/Jamie Ouverson)

Victories and Losses for the Wave

The council’s shift on economic development has been even more profound. They approved an airport expansion, with an international terminal, and have embraced so-called project labor agreements, which were once banned in Fresno but are favored by unions to make sure that the benefits of big construction projects flow to workers. The “Brown Wave” politicians, who have been deeply critical of the incentives given to build an Amazon distribution center, have pushed the principle that any benefit or exemption given to a large company should also be available to local small businesses.
But they’ve also been frustrated on big issues — particularly environmental cleanup, regulation of industry to mitigate pollution, and the control and oversight of Fresno’s police department.

Congressional Campaign, Mayoral Race Will Test Wave

This makes this year’s mayoral election a highly consequential one. With incumbent Lee Brand leaving office, the powerful former police chief Jerry Dyer is running as the establishment candidate, and as a brake on the “Brown Wave” council members, with whom he has tangled. He has dominated the public conversation about the race in part because of a controversial past, which includes a mysterious death in front of his home and a police department second-in-command who turned out to be a drug kingpin.

If neither Janz nor Dyer wins a majority on March 3, there would be a run-off election in November, raising the prospect of a nasty campaign that consumes the year.
Several of the council members are aligned with the other candidate, prosecutor Andrew Janz, best known for coming close to knocking off Congressman Devin Nunes in 2018. Already, the election has been hotly contested, and it could go on for many more months. If neither Janz nor Dyer wins a majority on March 3, there would be a run-off election in November, raising the prospect of a nasty campaign that consumes the year.
And it’s not the only race in which the power of the “Brown Wave” will be tested. Councilmember Soria has launched a progressive challenge against her fellow Democrat, Congressman Jim Costa, a moderate fixture of Fresno politics.
Whatever the results of these contests, it seems likely that this wave has changed Fresno forever. Governance and politics, long a place for back-slapping and informal deals, are modernizing as Fresno, and much of California, grow up.
About the Author
Joe Mathews writes the Connecting California column for Zócalo Public Square.
 

DON'T MISS

Israeli Airstrike Kills at Least 20 People Including Children at a School in Central Gaza

DON'T MISS

US to Deploy Missile Defense System and About 100 Troops to Israel

DON'T MISS

Israeli Tanks Enter UN Peacekeeper Base in Lebanon, Drawing Protest

DON'T MISS

Fresno State Falls to Washington State in Fourth Quarter Heartbreaker

DON'T MISS

What’s Behind the Northern Lights That Dazzled the Sky Farther South Than Normal

DON'T MISS

Are Male Voters Reluctant to Vote for a Woman? Harris’ Backers Are Confronting the Question Head On

DON'T MISS

The Brutal Story Behind California’s New Native American Genocide Education Law

DON'T MISS

Feeling Stressed About the Election? Here’s What Some Are Doing and What They Say You Can Do Too

DON'T MISS

Black Voters Drift From Democrats, Imperiling Harris’ Bid, Poll Shows

DON'T MISS

Playful Pup Renny Leaves Street Life Behind, Awaits Adoption in Fresno

UP NEXT

Darius Assemi Says No to New $500 Million Tax

UP NEXT

A Tale of Two Districts: Why I’m Backing Clovis School Bond Measure, but Not Fresno’s

UP NEXT

Carbon Capture Projects Pay Billions to Polluters but Aren’t Worth Much to Californians

UP NEXT

I’m Opposing $500 Million Measure H, and You Should, Too: Fresno Unified Board President

UP NEXT

Fixing California’s Housing Crisis Starts With Rejecting Flawed Prop. 33 Rent Control

UP NEXT

On Oct. 7, Why Can’t We Grieve for All of the Dead Palestinians and Israelis?

UP NEXT

Biden Sought Peace but Facilitated War

UP NEXT

California Has Enough Debt. It Doesn’t Need $10 Billion More for a Climate Bond.

UP NEXT

Vance’s Dominant Debate Performance Shows Why He’s Trump’s Running Mate

UP NEXT

How JD Vance Disqualified Himself From Becoming Vice President

Fresno State Falls to Washington State in Fourth Quarter Heartbreaker

18 hours ago

What’s Behind the Northern Lights That Dazzled the Sky Farther South Than Normal

20 hours ago

Are Male Voters Reluctant to Vote for a Woman? Harris’ Backers Are Confronting the Question Head On

21 hours ago

The Brutal Story Behind California’s New Native American Genocide Education Law

21 hours ago

Feeling Stressed About the Election? Here’s What Some Are Doing and What They Say You Can Do Too

21 hours ago

Black Voters Drift From Democrats, Imperiling Harris’ Bid, Poll Shows

1 day ago

Playful Pup Renny Leaves Street Life Behind, Awaits Adoption in Fresno

2 days ago

Another Top City Official Quits in Los Banos as Critical Election Looms

2 days ago

Madera County Farmland Conversion Program Begins With $10 Million in State Funds

2 days ago

Sanewashing? The Banality of Crazy? A Decade Into the Trump Era, Media Hasn’t Figured Him Out

2 days ago

Israeli Airstrike Kills at Least 20 People Including Children at a School in Central Gaza

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli airstrike has killed at least 20 people including children at a school-turned-shelter in central...

10 hours ago

10 hours ago

Israeli Airstrike Kills at Least 20 People Including Children at a School in Central Gaza

13 hours ago

US to Deploy Missile Defense System and About 100 Troops to Israel

13 hours ago

Israeli Tanks Enter UN Peacekeeper Base in Lebanon, Drawing Protest

18 hours ago

Fresno State Falls to Washington State in Fourth Quarter Heartbreaker

20 hours ago

What’s Behind the Northern Lights That Dazzled the Sky Farther South Than Normal

21 hours ago

Are Male Voters Reluctant to Vote for a Woman? Harris’ Backers Are Confronting the Question Head On

21 hours ago

The Brutal Story Behind California’s New Native American Genocide Education Law

21 hours ago

Feeling Stressed About the Election? Here’s What Some Are Doing and What They Say You Can Do Too

Search

Send this to a friend