Chinese-American political pioneer Tom Xie dies at 91

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Former San Francisco Supervisor Thomas C.S., a trailblazer for Chinese Americans in local politics, died peacefully at a UCSF hospital in San Francisco on Sunday, surrounded by his family. He was 91 years old.

History of the immigrant

Xie arrived in San Francisco from China in 1951 with only $400 in cash, a suitcase and, according to a colleague, a guitar. An architect by trade, he designed and built over 1,600 low- and middle-income housing units for senior San Francisco residents, as well as the Mandarin Tower on Stockton Street across from what is now Chinatown Rose Pack Station.

“In many ways, Tom Shea was the history of San Francisco,” Steve Kava, who served as Shea’s board of directors legislative aide and went on to serve as chief of staff for three mayors, told The Standard, “a man who comes to town and ends up doing what he does.” much more for others. He was most proud of his relentless pursuit of seismic safety; he deeply understood this issue as an architect.

“He was the person who taught me the most about politeness in my 30 years in politics,” Kava added.

Xie served on several local and regional commissions in the 1970s and 80s and was also very active in the local Democratic Party. He was the founding chairman of the first Asia-Pacific Caucus of the Democratic National Committee and served there from 1978 to 1986.

He was appointed to the vacant seat on the Board of Supervisors by then Mayor Dianne Feinstein in 1986, before Asian American political power became the force in San Francisco politics that it is today. The first Asian American to join the board of directors since the departure of Gordon Lau six years earlier, Hsih had been there for 11 years.

fiscal hawk

On the board of directors, Xie became known not only for his bow tie, but also for his financial aggressiveness. He is credited with leading the city through years of financial crisis as chairman of the Budget Committee, and was also a trailblazer for other Asian Americans in city politics.

Mabel Teng joined Xie on the board of directors near the end of his second term. Together, they symbolized the evolving political diversity of San Francisco’s Chinese American community.

“He never wavered from his moderate point of view, but he worked effectively, regardless of political views, when it came to the well-being of Chinatown,” Teng said. “He was ahead of his time when he ran for mayor in 1991. He was best known for his life-sized cutout posters challenging former mayor Art Agnos.”

Kevin Shelley, another colleague of Shea’s on the board of directors, also remembered him fondly.

“He was an incredibly decent and honorable man,” Shelley said. “Our policy was slightly different, but he approached each issue thoughtfully, and where he could find common ground, he always sought to achieve them. He will be remembered fondly by all who served with him.”

“Class act”

Xie combined moderate politics with a willingness to engage the other side of the aisle and was transparent about his positions.

“Tom Shay was a great actor,” Angela Alioto, who worked with him on the Supervisory Board, told The Standard. “Very gentleman, very respectful. He never got upset, but you always knew what he stood for, whether we disagreed or not.”

Leaders who served alongside Xie in the 1980s recalled Xie’s sense of propriety.

“Tom was a solid legislator,” former supervisor Bill Maher told The Standard. “He had positions and points of view that he promoted and defended, but was always polite and polite to his opponents. Good man.”

“He was old school in the sense that he said, ‘You know, hey, I’m appointed Feinstein and I’m not going to forget that. But when I am elected in my own right, I will be independent.” That’s what he was,” Jim Gonzalez, who also served on the board with Hsih, told The Standard. “He loved San Francisco and he loved democracy.”

Tom Hsieh is survived by Jeannette, his wife of 63; his sons Jackson, Franklin and Tom Shay, Jr.; and his grandchildren Nicholas, Cameron, Emma, ​​Jack and Ryder.

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