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Dolores Sibonga

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Dolores Sibonga
Dolores Sibonga, 1991
Member of the Seattle City Council for Position 9
In office
January 1, 1980 – January 1, 1992
Preceded byTim Hill
Succeeded byMartha Choe
Member of the Seattle City Council for Position 1
In office
April 1978 – November 1978
Preceded byPhyllis Lamphere
Succeeded byNorm Rice
Personal details
Born1931
Seattle, WA
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMartin Sibonga
Residence(s)Seattle, WA
EducationUniversity of Washington (BA, JD)

Dolores Dasalla Sibonga is Washington’s first Filipina American female lawyer.[1][2] In 1978, she became the first minority female to serve on the Seattle City Council, when she was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Phyllis Lamphere, she chose not to run to fill that seat for a full term.[3][4] In 1979, Sibonga was elected to city council and served until 1992 when she chose not to run for reelection.[4]

Early life and journalism career

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Sibonga was born in 1931 in Seattle, WA, and grew up in the Chinatown–International District, Seattle.[4] She would work in her parent's restaurant and pool hall, the Estigoy Cafe.[5] Sibonga stated that her mother encouraged her to pursue a career in journalism because, "...she had so much respect for Victor Velasco, the longtime editor and publisher of the Filipino Forum."[6] She earned her journalism degree from the University of Washington in 1952.[4]

After college, Sibonga worked in radio and television in Spokane and Seattle.[4][5] She produced documentaries for new organizations, like KOMO-TV, earning her an emmy nomination.[7] After Velasco passed away in 1968, due to a cannery fire, Sibonga and her husband Martin purchased the Filipino Forum.[6] From 1977-1978, they would run the monthly newspaper, supporting civil rights movement, often militant, and urged people to take part in "united minority action."[8]

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Sibonga's husband suggested she take a summer class at University of Washington aimed at assisting ethnic minorities interested in going to law school.[6] In 1970, Sibonga would enroll in law school at UW after her husband lost his job as a illustrator at Boeing.[5] Sibonga would graduate and in 1973, become the first Filipina American lawyer admitted to the Washington State Bar.[9] Sibonga initially worked as a defense attorney before becoming a legislative analyst for the King County Council.[5] She then worked in the King County office of Human Rights before working at the State Human Rights Department as a deputy secretary.[5][10]

Seattle city council

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In 1978, Sibonga achieved another historical first by becoming the first minority female to serve on the Seattle City Council when she was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Phyllis Lamphere. She would choose not to run to serve the remainder of the term, instead running in the 1979 election to replace outgoing councilmember Tim Hill.[10]

Elections

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In the September 1979 primary election, Sibonga won with 40% of the vote, with Seattle police officer, Bob Moffett, coming in second with 23%.[11] In the November general election Sibonga defeated Moffett, 55% to 45%, becoming the first minority woman elected to the council.[10][12] Sibonga ran for reelection in 1983 and won the general lection in a landslide against Frank Doolittle, the chairman of Board of Public Works, 64% to 36%.[12][13] In 1987 she defeated future council member Margaret Pageler 57% to 43%.[12]

In 1989, Sibonga lost an election to become the Mayor of Seattle.[14] Afterwards, her bid for council presidency failed.[9] She would then choose not to run for reelection in 1992.[4]

Tenure

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Sibonga chaired four committees over her 12 year tenure; Personnel and Property Management (1978, 1980-1981), Parks and Community Resources (1982-1983, 1988-1989), Finance (1984-1987, 1990-1991), and Labor (1986-1987).[4]

Sibonga introduced legislation that would provide reparations to five city employees fired during World War II because of their Japanese ancestry.[4][15] The ordinance passed in 1984, providing $5,000 to the employees.[15]

Sibonga was the lone "no" vote on a plan for tax breaks for a new basketball stadium after the Seattle SuperSonics threatened to leave the city.[5] Plans for the new stadium were scrapped, and the Sonics would eventually leave Seattle.[5] While she was chair of the parks committee, it studied potential redesigns of Seattle Center, which included an expensive and unpopular proposal from Disney consultants.[16] She was a critic of the Disney plan, and worked to maintain minimal changes to the area.[4][5]

Post city council

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Sibonga returned to practicing law after leaving city council.[9] In 1998, she was appointed to a two year term on the Horse Racing Commission immediately followed by a five year term on the Human Rights Commission.[4][9]

In 2023, she earned the International Examiner Lifetime Achievement award.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Parker, Monica R. (2010). What it Takes: How Women of Color Can Thrive Within the Practice of Law. American Bar Association. p. 6. ISBN 9781590319925.
  2. ^ Sterngass, Jon (2007). Filipino Americans. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 9781438107110.
  3. ^ "Summary for 4627 43RD AVE / Parcel ID 4154300385 / Inv # 0". Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Dolores Sibonga Subject Files, 1979-1990". Archive West. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h MURAKAMI, KERY (January 25, 2006). "City Council Candidate: Dolores Sibonga". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d Bhoolsuwan, Patranya (October 14, 2023). "CVA 2023: Dolores Sibonga receives 'Lifetime Achievement' award". International Examiner. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  7. ^ International Examiner. International Examiner Press. 2015. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-692-59786-6. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  8. ^ Tsutakawa, Mayumi (June 15, 1983). "A History of Asian Community Media". International Examiner. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d Mejia-Giudici, Cynthia (June 10, 1999). "Dolores Sibonga, Filipina American lawyer, is appointed to the Seattle City Council in August 1978". HistoryLink. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Chew, Ron (November 15, 1979). "Sibonga and Hara Win City Positions". International Examiner. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  11. ^ Chinn, Kathy (October 1979). "'Like picking from a menu at a Chinese restaurant'". International Examiner. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "General and Special Elections". Seattle Municipal Archive. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  13. ^ "Ordinance 110422" (PDF). Seattle City Clerk. February 8, 1982. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  14. ^ "Dolores Sibonga campaigning for City Council, Seattle, October 4, 1979". digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  15. ^ a b Long, Priscella (November 21, 2001). "Seattle City Council passes Japanese American reparations ordinance on March 5, 1984". HistoryLink. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  16. ^ Nelson, Robert T. (February 6, 1990). "Seattle Center May Get Only A Minimum Facelift". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
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