Meet Cameron Sasai

Raised in Pinole by a proud Filipina immigrant mother and a Japanese-American father, my mission has been shaped by values of advocacy, resiliency, equity, and social justice. 

As a lifelong resident of this city, I have a deep connection to my community and understand how Pinole has evolved over the course of decades. I currently serve as a Board Member of the Rotary Club of Pinole and an Interact Advisor to the student leaders at Pinole Valley High School. Most importantly, I am a community advocate who actively pushes for policies that can make our city a safer and more inclusive place to live. 

My mother immigrated to the United States from Quezon City, Philippines at the age of 21, supporting three of her younger siblings as they did the same. Originally from the province of Pangasinan, her family was highly involved in political advocacy and education. My father was raised in a family of farmworkers who toiled strawberry fields in Sacramento County. The Nisei 二世 and Issei 一世 (his parents and grandparents) on both sides of his family were sent to internment camps in Tule Lake, California & Jerome, Arkansas, where they were incarcerated during World War II as a result of Executive Order 9066. My work and community service are rooted in my family’s struggle and sacrifices. 

My parents married and moved to Pinole in 1989, trusting in this community to raise me and my older brother. Pinole shaped who I am today: my brother and I took karate lessons at Dumlao’s Martial Arts on San Pablo Avenue, played in Fernandez Park, learned guitar and piano at Fiat Music in Pinole Valley, and played tennis by our public library. Later on, I worked jobs in Downtown Pinole to pay my way through college. I currently work as an after-school educator in Richmond, where I serve and support an 8th grade class of students of color with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I transferred from a California Community College to the University of California, Davis where I graduated with a degree in Political Science—Public Service. On the side, I own a small business called SASAI STUDIOS which curates and provides a place for clothing brands to shine while contributing portions of our proceeds to non-profit organizations that are committed to social justice. 

As I reflect on how this city has been integral to my character and identity, I have witnessed Pinole remain stagnant and fail to evolve in ways that allow our most vulnerable communities to thrive through the pandemic. COVID-19 has taken a toll on families & small businesses and led to a rise in hate crimes in the Bay Area, specifically with our Asian-American & Black communities. I have led discussions and proposed ways to respond, innovate, adapt, and change, but have been met with resistance.

In order for our city to continue to evolve, I believe that new leadership is needed, and I have decided to run for City Council to give back to the city that has given so much to me. 

I humbly ask for your vote and support as I make history as the first Filipino-American and the youngest leader to ever represent our city in our 100+ year history. It would be an honor to work with you to transform Pinole into a city that is a leader, innovator, and trailblazer in the Bay Area that continues to shape lives as it has shaped mine.

In solidarity,