“My passion is in opening the doors for the next generation and mentoring the future leaders of our community.” With those words, Los Angeles Supervisor Hilda Solis addressed our 2023 CLI cohort during our second in-person session. Featured as the keynote for the “Women in Power” session, Solis engaged in a fireside chat for our cohort, describing her journey and upbringing as a Los Angeles native born to immigrant parents.
Solis was first asked to describe how her values have guided her leadership. She took the opportunity to give the cohort insight and advice on how to deal with crisis and tough situations, acknowledging that she has always been the person to find out the “why” behind the problem and to address the issue by finding a solution. Solis encouraged the cohort to surround ourselves with advisors and to listen to the community.
As a child of seven to immigrant parents, Solis did not receive the same levels of attention and support as some of her peers. When someone paid attention to Hilda and saw something in her that she didn’t see in herself, she was inspired. She recalled a guidance counselor encouraging her to attend college and helping her with the application. This encouragement would lead her to becoming the first of her family to go to college at California State Polytechnic University, which she would pay for with government grants and part-time jobs. Solis then went on to describe her career journey starting with various internships and intergovernmental programs that would take her to Sacramento, Washington D.C., and back to Los Angeles. Through her experience, she gave the cohort a few valuable pieces of life advice:
Know you might not always be safe in your space and don’t fear venturing out of your comfort zone.
Be on your toes. Always be aggressive and don’t give up on your passion.
There is value in listening, persistence, and continued navigation.
As a mid-career professional working in both corporate and the community, Solis’ advice speaks to me personally, especially as an introvert having to find my voice in unfamiliar spaces. I am a strong advocate for people to continue to be bold and to venture out of their comfort zones, to explore uncharted territories to not only benefit themselves but for those who follow in their footsteps.
Secondly, Solis was asked how she uplifts and serves communities. Solis provided background that in December 2021, Los Angeles County adopted a redistricting plan that would make her district, District 1,have a 25% AAPI population – the largest AAPI seat in California. With this change, Solis described how she now represented the highest makeup of AAPI communities. She now focuses on her work finding ways to provide more funding and support, especially in areas of mental health and healthcare disparity. Solis also spoke to prioritizing hiring staff that can speak the language of the communities she represented. Passionate about developing young leaders, Solis hires interns who she can help grow by opening doors and other opportunities to them.
When asked specifically about the mass shooting in Monterey Park, Solis made translation services available for mental health. She also spoke to appointing the first Director of the Los Angeles county Department of Mental Health, Lisa Wong. On these topics, Solis advised, “Have people in leadership positions who will fight to have representation in civil service.” Solis makes a great point here. As a community, we are only as strong as the advocates, champions, and sponsors who will also fight in the trenches with us.
Solis then went on to describe “LA vs Hate”, a community-centered system designed to support all residents of Los Angeles County led by the Human Relations Commission and supported by all five county districts. The goals of the system are to address the normalization of hate and inspire people to stand up to it, build understanding about what constitutes a hate act and how to report it, and to support individuals and communities as they heal from the trauma of hate. Solis spoke to the accomplishment of this system, setting up a hotline with various in-language services and representation, defense courses, and funding CEOs. To date, the system has received 3.2 million in grant funding and looks forward to receiving ongoing funding. Solis leaves us with these last powerful words, “The stronger we are united, the more we can do.” I was inspired by Solis’ speech and very honored she made time for our cohort. The time spent with Solis made me want to learn more about relationship building and state government.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not reflect the views or positions of CAUSE or the CAUSE network.
Written by Ashley Mack, Leadership Institute 2023 Fellow.
The CAUSE Leadership Institute (CLI) for professionals is a 6-month-long certificate program that prepares and equips mid-career professionals with the tools, skills, and network to lead and advocate for the Asian Pacific Islander community.