Look West: How California is Leading the Nation

Immigration Stories: We are all Californians

All year long we've been sharing the immigration stories of our Assembly Democrats, stories that remind us how diverse California really is. Each journey is different, but they all speak to a shared truth. No matter where we came from, we're all Californians. As we close out 2025 Look West looks back at the immigration journeys of Assemblymembers Jose Luis Solache, Jessica Caloza, Juan Carrillo, Celeste Rodriguez, Mike Fong, Alex Lee, Al Muratsuchi, Liz Ortega and Esmeralda Soria.

Immigration Stories: Assemblymember Jessica Caloza

All this year Look West has been hearing the immigration stories of our Members. Each of their stories is unique but also prove, no matter where we came from or how we got here, we are all Californians now. On this episode, Assemblymember Jessica Caloza tells us about her immigration journey, how her Los Angeles Assembly district is responding to the federal anti-immigration actions and why she co-authored the Birthright Citizenship resolution, AJR5.

Food is Family, Community and Culture

Food, Glorious Food…it’s more than just a way to stay alive. Food brings people together. Families gather for meals. Communities gather for picnics, block parties and potlucks. It’s also a way we explore each other’s cultures. Today, “Foodies” are a massive part of the social media world. There’s even an unofficial Foodie Caucus in the State Legislature. We brought a few of the Foodie Members together to sit down at a Sacramento area restaurant and talk about food, its importance to family, community and culture (and the ways the State Legislature helps keep food safe in California). Join Assemblymembers Jose Luis Solache, Stephanie Nguyen and John Harabedian for this tasty discussion.

Protecting Birthright Citizenship

Birthright citizenship is a fundamental right that has been enshrined in the Constitution for over 150 years. In the wake of the federal government’s assault on this core principle, Assemblymember Alex Lee authored legislation affirming the California Legislature’s commitment to birthright citizenship. Assembly Joint Resolution (AJR) 5 passed the Senate Floor on September 2, and heads to the Assembly Floor for a final vote. On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order to deny citizenship for children of non-citizen parents. The order, which remains blocked by legal challenges, would strip an entire class of people of the right to vote, work lawfully, access federal benefits, and many other basic rights. It is estimated that 153,000 children nationwide, including 24,500 in California, would see their right to citizenship eliminated if the federal government implemented the executive order. “Birthright citizenship is a bedrock of the American Dream,” said Assemblymember Lee. “We cannot let one President and his cronies abuse their federal powers, undo our long-standing civil rights laws, and redefine who becomes a citizen. AJR 5 shows the nation that the California State Legislature is committed to defending birthright citizenship, and the deep-rooted legal precedent set by the landmark Supreme Court case of Wong Kim Ark.” Birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868 following the Civil War. It ensured those who were formerly enslaved the right to citizenship and states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Decades later, the Supreme Court Case of U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark in 1898 affirmed birthright citizenship to all those born in the U.S. During a period of anti-Asian racism, San Francisco-born Wong Kim Ark was prohibited from reentering the United States after traveling to China to visit family. Customs agents claimed he was not a citizen because his parents were unable to naturalize and ordered him to be deported. With legal support from the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of San Francisco, he took his case to the Supreme Court and won. In commemoration of the 127th anniversary of the case, AJR 5 honors Wong Kim Ark’s fight for the fundamental right of birthright citizenship, and the legacy that he leaves behind. The bill is sponsored by Chinese for Affirmative Action.  

Immigration Stories - Keeping Families Together

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez (D-San Fernando) introduces her first bill in the 2025-26 legislative session, AB 495 – The Family Safety Plan Act, which will provide support to immigrant and mixed-status families by ensuring safety plans are in place in the event of immigration enforcement actions.“The threats from the federal administration have led to fear in many communities including mine,” said Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez. “We must do everything we can to safeguard families from separation and ensure children are supported. AB 495 is a critical tool that will preserve California’s families.”Forty-five percent of California children have at least one immigrant parent. An estimated 1 million children in California have at least one undocumented parent, and approximately 133,000 children in California public schools are undocumented. This bill protects children in immigrant families by ensuring that families have safety plans in place in case of immigration enforcement actions.Assemblywoman Rodriguez represents the 43rd Assembly District, which includes the City of San Fernando and communities across the Northeast San Fernando Valley, including Arleta, Sun Valley, Sylmar, Pacoima, Panorama City, North Hollywood, Lake View Terrace, Valley Glen, Mission Hills and North Hills.