What's in a name? Plenty, it seems, if you're running for office in California.

Diana Souza and Pauline Cutter, candidates for mayor of San Leandro, have acquired brand new Chinese names and had them printed up on their handouts.

"Leaders have recognized that embracing diversity is key to building bridges for economic vitality," said Benny Lee, vice-mayor of San Leandro.

Chinese communities are a large part of their constituency, so candidates must focus on bridging the gap, Lee added.

"I picked a Chinese name because I knew this was an option this year and I wanted to honor the Chinese voters by participating," said Cutter, whose Chinese name is Bao Lian Kai Te. She told China Daily she picked the name by consulting with one of her former students.

Souza, whose Chinese name is Dan Xia, told China Daily that her name was given to her by her supporters in the Chinese community.

Nearly 30 percent of San Leandro's population is Asian and about two-thirds of them are of Chinese descent, according to the 2010 Census, said Souza.

Souza said she would continue her strong advocacy in working to connect Chinese investors to the city so as to bring more opportunities and jobs to San Leandro.

"Souza's new name Dan Xia means strength, wisdom and grace," Lee said, who praised Souza's efforts to work with all communities, especially those groups that have traditionally been ignored.

"I've witnessed occasions where Chinese residents and business people who don't speak English go to her for support," he said.

Since election ballots in the San Francisco Bay Area can now be in Chinese, political candidates are scrambling for Chinese names, even though they're not Chinese Americans, said Betty Yuan, a well-known Chinese community leader in the area.

Jose Esteves, a Filipino-American who serves as mayor of Milpitas, has the given Chinese name of Ai Hexie, which means Loving Peace, according to Yuan.

In Yuan's view, having a Chinese name could help a candidate gain more support from Chinese-American voters, especially those who don't speak English.

Yuan is happy that so many politicians have picked out Chinese names. To her it means that they have started to pay more attention to Chinese-American voters and their communities.

Yuan hopes that these candidates really make Chinese American's voice heard and protect the rights of Chinese communities in the Bay Area after winning the election.

San Leandro has a large Chinese population that has an interest in doing business and cultural exchanges with China. Having good relations with Chinese voters can help strengthen San Leandro's economy through more foreign investment, said Lee.

"We have already built friendship city relationships with several cities in China, such as Zhongshan," Lee said. "As technology advances, the world is getting closer so it's imperative for us to begin building relationships early."

zilian@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 10/09/2014 page3)