Into American politics from Kazakhstan: immigrant goes to local council in California - ForumDaily
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Into American Politics from Kazakhstan: Immigrant Goes to Local Council in California

November 3 Americans are choosing not only the president but also the local authorities. Mark Yusupov was elected to the City Council of West Hollywood, a small town that is separated from Los Angeles in 1984. More told the publication with the BBC in your video.

Photo: Shutterstock

“I was born in Kazakhstan and after school I studied in Tashkent at the Faculty of Philosophy. I was visiting friends in Chicago, Illinois. I already started studying there and stayed in the USA,” says Yusupov.

Mark's main job is selling real estate.

“If you pay attention to what’s around you, then you can increase your influence,” says Yusupov.

In the elections of November 3 will be determined 2 of 5 board members. And in Mark, there are serious competitors. Jon Heyman sits on the city council for more than 30 years and is going to be re-elected again.

“I know how to do this job. I think we've been very successful as a city and I want to see that continue,” Heyman says.

What issues do politicians in West Hollywood decide?

35 people live in West Hollywood, about 000 of them are Russian speakers. This is almost 4000% of the population.

“In the 36 years of this city’s existence, there has never been a single representative of the Russian-speaking diaspora on the city council. There are many Russian businesses in the city, there are Russian shops. I believe that the eastern part of the city, where Russian speakers predominantly live, could be given more time and, perhaps, more money,” says Yusupov. “A significant part of the Russian diaspora are elderly people, who, especially now, during the pandemic, find themselves in isolation. There should be more programs for them.”

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“In my opinion, our city has greatly benefited from the presence of Russian-speaking immigrants in our community. This greatly increased cultural diversity. This culture is very different from what I was used to growing up,” Heyman says. — It is very important for me that Russian-speaking residents support me. We work hard to try to help their needs. Many of them are elderly people. So affordable housing is one of the main issues for them, along with the work of social services.”

Lobbyists

“The city council is very tied to lobbyists who build hotels and various skyscrapers in this city, and this continues from year to year. Unfortunately, they fell under the influence of these external lobbyists who don’t even live in this city,” says Yusupov. “By receiving this money, they cannot be independent and cannot put the interests of residents first.”

“This criticism is heard every 4 or even 2 years, during elections. They say that the council members are too close to business. But business is an important part of our city. And we won’t be successful without a successful business community,” Heyman says. “And in this way, by the way, we receive most of the income, which then goes to the needs of the cities.”

Homeless

“It’s a nuance in West Hollywood that a large number of homeless people are people who have mental health issues. They need help from a psychologist. We need to cooperate more with organizations that provide such assistance,” says Yusupov.

“There are government laws that prevent us from helping people with serious mental illness,” Heyman explains.

U.S. President

“This year is the first time the city is holding these elections at the same time. Let’s hope that this will attract more people to local elections too,” says Yusupov.

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“Previously, about 20-25% of the population voted in city elections. Now, along with the presidential elections, we expect a much larger turnout. More people will vote, and I think that's a good thing,” Heyman says.

He is a big Joe Biden supporter and believes it is necessary to get rid of Trump.

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