Biography

Mariko Yamada represents California’s 8th Assembly District, comprised of portions of Solano and Yolo counties and the cities of Benicia, Davis, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, West Sacramento, Winters and Woodland.

Most recently, Mariko served on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, representing a portion of the City of Davis and surrounding unincorporated county lands.  Her top priorities have been the protection of civil rights, the preservation of open space and agricultural land, and the inclusion of underserved communities in our educational system, economy and political process. Her education and experience as a social worker drives her leadership on issues affecting the poor, elderly, and disabled.

Mariko's experience includes a decade in Washington, D.C. in federal service, first with the U.S. Census Bureau a working on the undercount reduction "campaign" of the 1980 Census and then as an investigator with the Office of the Secretary, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Commerce.  During her "D.C. days", Mariko co-produced and co-hosted "Gold Mountain, D.C.", a jazz and information show on WPFW 89.3 FM, one of the Pacifica Foundation radio affiliates. Classic R&B music remains one of her passions.

Mariko was born in Denver, Colorado on October 23, 1950 after her family's release from the Manzanar War Relocation Center, one of ten such Japanese American internment camps established during World War II.  She attended inner city public schools in Denver, and in June 1972, was the first in her family to graduate from college, earning her B. A. in psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder with an emphasis in the special mental health needs of Asian Americans. This interest brought her to Los Angeles, and in June 1974, she earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Southern California, specializing in community organizing, planning and administration.  During her time in Southern California, she also served as Assistant Deputy County Supervisor to Los Angeles County Supervisor Ed Edelman, and as the EEO/AA Officer for the San Diego County Department of Social Services.

She and her husband of 25 years, Janlee Wong, also a social worker and current Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter reside in Davis. They are the proud parents of two daughters.  Meilee (far right), a 2007 Alumna of USC, is now a graduate student at the George Washington University.  Midori (far left), a 2008 graduate of UCSD, works as a regional planner at the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).