Mark Takano was born on December 10, 1960 in Riverside California. He spent many years as a school teacher in the Rialto School district. He went as far as joining Riverside Community College’s board of trustees, and was their longest running member. After a short stint of failed elections in the mid-90s, Takano decided to run as a Democrat once again in 2012 for a chance to represent California’s 41st district, and won. He is also a member of the following committees: Education and the Workforce, Science, Space and Technology, and Veterans Affairs. The 41st district of California consists of the city of Riverside, Moreno Valley, Perris, and Western Parts of Riverside County. The demographics show that out of 734,942 people; it is predominantly Latino, with 59.1% and White, with 23.8%. Not only that, but the median income is $52,546, with people graduating with a H.S diploma or less at 52.4%, and some college completed at 30.6% (American Politics Almanac). With that being said, Mark Takano is representing his constituents. He represents them because his prior experience as a teacher helps him garner influence on the committees that he is on (most notably the Education and Workforce). Takano’s policy making and introduction of acts show that he is listening to his constituents and is willing to make a lasting change. Takano uses social media as a platform to publicly criticize issues that are seen by his constituents as wrong and advertise his events. As a result, his social media usage has helped Takano not only reach out to his constituents and announce events that are coming up, but to also side with them on certain issues and gain their vote and confidence. Notably, he hosts many public speaking events, many of which are informational sessions that help him educate and listen to his constituents on issues that are salient in the district.
While Takano is a member of various committees, his presence in the Education and Workforce Committee is significant. Since he has previous background as a teacher in the district he represents, he knows first hand what is wrong with the education system. His district has an overwhelming 52.1% of the population receiving their high school diploma or less. With this in mind, he is a strong proponent for having an education system that is not only affordable, but prepares the student for their inevitable journey to the workforce in America. He introduced HR 2897, the Access to Complete Education Act, which in his own words: “establishes a grant program for school districts to strengthen core curricula in one or more of the following subjects: music and arts, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, history, geography, and physical education and health” (Takano.House.gov). What this essentially does is promote the growth of an education system via funding, and provides students with classes that otherwise would’ve been cut. This leads to more jobs since more classes are being funded, and now students have access to a proper education. Takano addresses two problems here that are rampant in his district: education and jobs. Not only that, but he also introduced another act, HR 1271, the Job Skills for America’s Students Act. This act tackles the problem facing many college students; not having the proper skills and training to effectively be members of the workforce after college. This act bridges that gap by promoting partnerships between companies and educational institutions to promote job training and skills development (Takano.House.gov). While these acts have only been introduced, they are a step in the right direction and prove that Mark Takano is representing his constituents.
Takano’s constant usage of social media helps him stay connected to his constituents and address issues that affect his district and the nation. Through social media, most notably Twitter, he is able to fire back at politicians who are against him. In one tweet, he writes “I’m hosting a town hall tomorrow from 6-8:30 PM at Jurupa Valley High School. It’s not too late to RSVP. I hope that you can join me to discuss the issues that are important to you” (Twitter). In this tweet, he is announcing his event (Town Hall Meeting) while also assuring the user that their voice will be heard if they choose to attend the meeting. This usage of social media is a useful tool to remind constituents of events that are coming up, so that they won’t miss out on an opportunity to get their voice heard. While he uses Twitter for those purposes, he also uses it to voice his opinion/stance on issues that are aligned with the views of constituents in his district. In another tweet, Takano tweets “I went to the Hart Senate Building to thank the brave women who are sharing their stories, speaking out against injustice, and demanding better from their government. The power of the people is greater than the people in power — we cannot give up the fight” (Twitter). In regards to the Brett Kavanaugh controversy regarding Christine Blasey Ford, Takano uses his platform to show his constituents/followers that he is on their side. By showing that he is listening to women’s stories and their voices in general, it further shows to his constituents/followers that he is easy to talk to and is willing to hear their voice. Doing this exhibits that he is the right fit to represent his district (consisting of minorities/democrats) even though he might not be their race/ethnicity/gender.
Takano often hosts many informational talks that are designed to educate and interact with his constituents. On his website, you can see that he hosts many events almost exclusively in educational institutes. They either range from educating people how to renew their DACA, to Town Hall Meetings. Nevertheless, they are designed to help out constituents in need and educate them in the process. As stated earlier, Takano’s district is predominantly Latino, which means that immigration and DACA is a very salient issue that needs to be addressed. Takano is in support of more lenient immigration laws and DACA, and the fact that he hosts workshops that teach DACA recipients how to renew their DACA speaks volumes to his connectivity. Due to workshops like this, he is appealing to the majority of his districts population. As a result of this constituent service, he will be able to get the vote of the majority next election. In fact, his stance on immigration (that being that he is pro-immigration) and doing workshops like this that help immigrants are a huge reason as to why he has been in office since 2012. His town hall meetings are one of the events listed on his websites where he actually shows up and catches everybody attending up to speed on what he is doing. Work that he either has already done or that he is intends to do. What this does is it opens up the floor to constituents attending and allows them to participate in the decision making process. Takano’s wise use of advertising via attending/hosting these events are a huge reason as to why he is connected to his district.
To conclude, Mark Takano has shown that he is connected to his district. He has shown this by being a member of various committees, most notably the Education and Workforce committee. By being a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, he has introduced various acts that would further enhance the education of students K-12. Along with that, it would also help those same students out when they go to college and look for jobs that require certain skills and training. Takano also hosts various events that not only educate his constituents, but takes into account their input. His wise usage of social media to help advertise said events and implement his stance on various important issues back home or nationally help build rapport between himself and his constituents. Through all of this, he has shown that he is a delegate for the people and has their own best interests at hand even though he may not be a descriptive representative to them.