{{Short description|American politician (born 1950)}} {{BLP sources|date=April 2011}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Mariko Yamada | native_name = 山田真理子 | image = Mariko Yamada, 2010 (cropped).jpg | state_assembly = California | district = 4th | term_start = December 1, 2008 | term_end = November 30, 2014 | predecessor = Lois Wolk | successor = Bill Dodd | prior_term = 8th district (2008–2012) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|10|23}} | birth_place = Denver, Colorado, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = Janlee Wong | children = Meilee<br>Midori | occupation = Social Worker/Civil servant | alma_mater = University of Colorado<br>University of Southern California | party = Democratic }}
'''Mariko Yamada''' (born October 23, 1950) is a Japanese-American social worker who served as the Democratic assemblywoman from California's 4th Assembly district from 2008 to 2014.
==Personal== Both of Yamada's parents were held in Japanese internment camps during World War II.<ref name=puc>{{cite web|last=Hashimoto|first=Giovanni|title=Assemblymember Yamada Speaks to College Democrats|date=19 October 2012 |url=http://www.puc.edu/news/archives/2012/assemblymember-yamada-speaks-to-college-democrats|publisher=Pacific Union College|accessdate=October 28, 2012}}</ref> Yamada grew up attending inner-city schools and later became the first member of her family to complete college and graduate school.<ref name=puc /> She lives in Davis with her husband, Janlee Wong. They have two children — Meilee and Midori.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}
==Education== Yamada received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and received her master's degree in social work from the University of Southern California.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}
==Political career== Prior to serving in the Assembly, Yamada represented the city of Davis on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors from 2003-2008.
She was elected in 2008 after defeating West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon in a competitive Democratic primary, a victory that many considered an upset for Yamada.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bajko |first=Matthew |date=June 5, 2008 |title=Two gay Assembly candidates win races |newspaper=Bay Area Reporter |url=http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3049 |accessdate=2014-02-19}}</ref> She was the third consecutive woman from Davis to be elected to this seat, following in the footsteps of Helen Thomson and Lois Wolk.
In 2016, Yamada lost the election for the seat representing California's 3rd State Senate district to Bill Dodd.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 13, 2016 |title=California 3rd District State Senate Results: Bill Dodd Wins |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/california-state-senate-district-3 |accessdate=November 13, 2016}}</ref>
==Career== Yamada's experience includes a decade in Washington, D.C. in federal service, first with the U.S. Census Bureau working on the undercount reduction campaign of the 1980 Census. She later worked as an investigator with Civil Rights division of the United States Department of Commerce. She also co-produced and co-hosted "Gold Mountain, D.C.", a jazz and information show on WPFW 89.3 FM.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yamada, Mariko}} Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:American social workers Category:Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly Category:California politicians of Japanese descent Category:County supervisors in California Category:People from Davis, California Category:Politicians from Denver Category:University of Colorado Boulder alumni Category:USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work alumni Category:Women state legislators in California Category:American women of Japanese descent in politics Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:Asian-American state legislators in California Category:21st-century members of the California State Legislature