David Chiu was sworn in as the first Asian American city attorney of San Francisco on Monday.
The ceremony: Dozens of family, friends, colleagues and politicians gathered to support Chiu’s appointment as San Francisco’s city attorney.
- A lion dance performance was held to welcome Chiu into his position.
- He was sworn in by San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
- “I am so humbled,” Chiu told the San Francisco Chronicle. “It is a really special moment for my family and I to have this opportunity to serve the city that I love.”
- He said that it is “bittersweet” to be leaving his position as an assemblyman.
History of public service: Chiu, the son of Chinese immigrants, worked in public policy for over a decade.
- He grew up in Boston, Mass., and received his undergraduate, master’s and law degrees from Harvard University.
- Chiu was a civil rights attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights before entering public office.
- In the past, he has served as a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit law clerk, U.S. Senate Constitution Subcommittee a Democratic counsel and a San Francisco District Attorney’s Office criminal prosecutor.
- Since he was first elected in 2014, he has represented the 17th Assembly District, encompassing eastern San Francisco, in the California State Legislature.
- For the last six years, Chiu served as chair of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.
- He also served as the chair of the California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus and policy chair of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus.
Chiu’s wife, Candace, is also a lawyer, and she manages a refugee foster care program. They have a 5-year-old son named Lucas.
Featured Image via KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco (left), San Francisco Chronicle (right)
