Opinion: What learning Cantonese as a candidate for office in San Francisco has taught me

I believe that anyone who runs for office has a responsibility to show they understand and can advocate for the communities they wish to represent.

In San Francisco’s District 3, this responsibility is most clear with our vibrant AAPI community which comprises some 40% of our residents from Chinatown to North Beach and Nob Hill.

Being a partner and an ally to our AAPI community is a responsibility I weigh deeply as I run to be the next District 3 Supervisor.

To begin this process, I’ve spent the last five years taking Cantonese lessons so that I can better engage with our AAPI community. This has included two semesters at City College with Grace Yu, the incredible Cantonese teacher who has taught thousands of students since the 1990’s.

I’ve taken two semesters at City College and filled in the rest of the time with a mix of online classes, local classes, and tutors.

Learning Cantonese hasn’t been easy, but it’s been an incredibly rewarding journey that has led to some of the richest and most valuable experiences I could imagine. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

1. San Francisco’s continues to struggle with language access:

More than 40% of San Francisco citizens are speakers of a non-English language, with Cantonese being the most common language. Yet, fighting for fair language access within our city continues to be a struggle as non-English speakers face additional barriers to city services and language access at city meetings is often treated as an afterthought.

2. The heroism of the Save Cantonese movement:

When the Cantonese program was at risk of being cut from City College in 2021, student organizers fought back to speak up for this critical language. The Save Cantonese movement was born from this advocacy and has since brought together thousands of students and organizers across San Francisco to not only save, but to grow, access to Cantonese.

3. The importance of lowering language barriers:

Our city needs to do more to lower language barriers. I’ve seen firsthand how monolingual seniors in District 3 have more difficulty accessing critical city services and opportunities. That’s why I led the effort to attract funding for bilingual programs and staff at the community centers I work with, including Cameron House in Chinatown and TEL HI Neighborhood Center in North Beach.

My Cantonese skills have a long way to go, but I’ve already found ways that speaking and listening in Cantonese has brought me closer to my neighbors. I’ve helped fellow bus riders navigate when the next bus was arriving, have helped customers at the Farmers Market I organize in North Beach, and have communicated with a monolingual neighbor to call 911 when he was facing a medical emergency.

I’m committed to continuing to learn Cantonese while in office, but more importantly, to put what I’ve learned to work to advocate for greater language access. I’ll champion legislation to expand pay bonuses for bilingual city employees, especially nurses, medical workers, and first responders like police officers and 911 dispatchers. I’ll partner to expand Cantonese classes at City College and through San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). And, I’ll always uplift the needs of our Chinese American community in housing, education, and economic development.

Cantonese is a critical language in San Francisco, and as your next District 3 Supervisor I’ll fight to make sure that Cantonese is not only saved, but grows.

* Danny Sauter (李爾德) is a candidate for District 3 Supervisor in November’s election. He has lived, worked, and served in District 3 for the last 10 years including starting the North Beach Farmers Market and raising funds for a new computer lab in Chinatown. He is a renter in North Beach and a daily Muni rider.