The following is an extract from Passport magazine. For the full article, follow the link at the end of the page.
You might not even notice Evan Low walking down the streets of Campbell, California, a suburban community of 40,000 in the heart of Silicon Valley, where Asian-Americans are the second-most populous demographic. Home to high-tech megaliths eBay and Netflix, Campbell is also one of the youngest cities in the Bay Area – the average age of residents is about 35.
Evan Low, however, is no ordinary suburbanite. Low, 23, made history last year when he became the first Chinese-American, openly gay, and youngest person to be elected to Campbell’s city council. Having earned endorsements from such political heavy-hitters as U.S. Congressman Mike Honda and California Assemblyman (and gay politico) Mark Leno (not to mention a throng of local and state officials) Low won one of the three open spots in the November 2006 election, after narrowly losing his first campaign two years ago.
Community service is in Low’s blood. He traces his roots back to Robert Locke, the first police chief of Campbell, while his father Dr. Arthur Low, an eye doctor who worked and volunteered in the community for over 25 years, was Campbell’s Citizen of the Year and president of the Chamber of Commerce.
During Evan’s teens and early 20’s, while his peers worried about prom dates, keg parties, or figuring out ways to sneak into San Francisco’s gay clubs, Evan was volunteering in the community. He served on the County Commission on Senior Care, as Director of Government and Public Affairs for the Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley, as an instructor at De Anza Community College, as Treasurer of the local Kiwanis Club, on the Campbell Chamber of Commerce, and on the board of directors for the city’s museum, as well as numerous other affiliations.