Candidate for
Council Member; City of Watsonville; Council District 1

Appointed on April 22, 2003, Councilmember for the City of Watsonville, Manuel Bersamin, represents District 1, which encompasses the westside of the city. Manuel is the first council member of Filipino descent to serve on Watonsville's City Council.

Born and raised in Watsonville, and having lived in District 1 since 1960, Manuel understands the needs of the people in District 1. Manuel's parents came to Watsonville in the 1930s and 1940s and were part of the farm-worker community of the Westside. His father was one of the original Filipino immigrants who arrived in Watsonville in 1935 and as a farm-worker, labored for fifty-years to develop the agricultural industry in the city despite discrimination and low wages. In addition, Manuel's mother worked in the city's canneries for forty years and also worked for low wages. Both of Manuel's parents were union members. The difficult lives his parents lead as laborers inspired Manuel to beat the odds and work his way up from poverty through education. He has been able to use education to reach a position where he can use his mind to make a living instead of manual labor as his father and mother once did. He graduated from Watsonville High School, and earned his higher degrees from nationally-renown universities. Manuel explains that he is not unique. Today's youth are empowered by where they come from, where they live and through the hardships their parents have gone through. They all have the power in them to make a difference in the community.

Perhaps, most importantly in understanding the citizens of District 1, Manuel has also worked alongside his family in the canneries and the fields of Watsonville, and despite his education, continues to identify with the city's hardest working citizens.

Manuel has made it his life goal to assist other students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to have greater access to higher education. Since he graduated from UC-Irvine in 1985, he has worked within the field of education to assure the equity of access to diverse and low-income students. Manuel was a migrant counselor for many years before he left to attain his master's degree at Stanford University. He has been fully engaged in ensuring access to higher education for diverse and low-income students, specifically from the City of Watsonville.

Manuel has developed a great deal of institutional experience, working within educational organizations at several levels including high schools, community colleges, and California State University and University of California systems.

Manuel is actively involved within the community, especially with work resulting in the doubling of Watsonville High School seniors earning admission to the University of California and to the California State University systems.