Main image via The Press-Enterprise + ABC7 Los Angeles + Instagram
Though it has been a challenging year, many Malaysians have been making the country proud, with the most recent being rising football star Celine Chuang who was selected to join Germany’s Bayern Munich FC.
Now, another woman with Malaysian heritage is making her mark in history by becoming the youngest woman of colour to serve as mayor of a California city and her name is Jocelyn Yow.
Image via The Press-Enterprise
25-year-old Jocelyn has recently become the new Mayor of Eastvale (Riverside County) and in the process she has made her mark in the history books.
Born to a Vietnamese mother and a Malaysian father, Jocelyn shared that her father first moved to the United States in the 1980s to pursue a higher education and a better future.
The mother to a six-month-old baby boy was elected to the Eastvale city council in 2018 and served in the position as Mayor pro-term this year before officially being appointed after the city’s council meeting in December.
While residing in California, Jocelyn has actually spent over 10 years in Malaysia where she grew up and is reported to have even attended school in Alor Setar, Kedah.
In a post celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month where she donned a black Baju Kebaya , Jocelyn shared more about her Vietnamese-Malaysian heritage saying:
“My mother and her family had to endure separation, fled Vietnam and came to this country as a refugee at a young age. My dad came here from Malaysia in the 1980s in order to pursue higher education and a better future.
In 1996, we had to move to Malaysia when my paternal grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, and I ended up spending 10+ years there, allowing me to learn more about our family history, heritage, and culture.
Despite have little to nothing when my parents were just starting out in their career, they always emphasized the importance of public service and giving back.
I am honoured to be my parent’s daughter, and I am proud to be a Malaysian Vietnamese Chinese American.”
Having previously graduated from Norco College and UC Berkeley, the new mayor is currently pursuing a masters degree in government at Harvard Extension.
Jocelyn has also served as a district representative for the California State Senate and also as an aide for the United States House of Representatives.
With her new appointment, Jocelyn shared that she wants to be the pioneer for other young women and mothers to follow her example.
“It is crucial we include the perspective of young women and mothers while making important decisions that impact the familes we serve,” she said.
“While I will be the youngest woman of colour and one of the very few young mothers to serve as Mayor in the state of California, I am hopeful that more young women and mothers will follow suit,” Jocelyn continued.
Image via ABC7 Los Angeles
We’re super proud of Jocelyn’s accomplishments! We hope more Malaysians will follow her lead!
Congratulations Jocelyn!
Info via Malay Mail