Mayor Garcetti talked about how his Mexican-Jewish heritage inspired him to be civically active. (Heidi Carreon/Neon Tommy)

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti came to the University of Southern as this year’s speaker in the 13th annual Carmen and Louis Warschaw lecture series.  

The series, which is put on by the Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life, features distinguished Jewish politicians. In the past the institute has brought Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Congressman Henry Waxman to USC. 

On Wednesday night, L.A.’s 42nd mayor and first elected Jewish mayor joined their ranks, speaking about the influence of his dual Mexican and Russian-Jewish heritage and his passion for community activism. 

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After opening remarks from Bruce Zuckerman, the Institute Director, and Elizabeth Garrett, USC’s Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Garcetti spoke to a well-sized audience that included various figures in the Jewish community and students from USC’s Unruh Institute of Politics. 

Garcetti began the evening with a discussion of his family history. 

“Los Angeles has been and always will be a place of opportunity for us,” said Garcetti, speaking of his father’s family, with roots northern Chihuahua, Mexico. Raised in Boyle Heights, Garcetti’s father opened a barbershop around USC after serving in World War II, and eventually his professor clientele inspired him to become the first in his family to earn a college degree. His maternal Jewish heritage, Garcetti credits for his “strong faith in the humanity we all share together.”

He proceeded to relate the story of his grandfather, who despite being President Lyndon B. Johnson’s tailor, decided to protest against the President because he believed that the Vietnam War was wrong. 

Mayor Garcetti, who was a visiting professor at USC, was given a Trojan Family gift. (Heidi Carreon/Neon Tommy)

It is this heritage of passion and determination that Garcetti takes pride in. In Los Angeles, “you can walk one street,” explained Garcetti excitedly. “And find people from four different continents, in four different apartments, right next to each other.”

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Garcetti spoke of the progress the Jewish community has made in politics, particularly noting that three major positions in the city government are currently held by Jews. He also emphasized the importance of his “Back to the Basics” agenda, of “doing grassroots right” with door-to-door visits and repaved streets. 

Garcetti urged the importance of more people getting involved in politics through civic activism to help “rebuild a new city” in which prominent issues in communities could be addressed. The mayor offered an upcoming program that would help Los Angeles youth find summer jobs and Summer Night Lights, a program that aims to keep parks safe late at night in the summer as opportunities for enhanced community participation. 

Garcetti concluded his speech asserting that the “greatness of a city” is not defined by its trade practices or its gross domestic product, but rather by how well it handles issues such as homelessness, high school dropouts and job availability. He reemphasized the importance of upholding traditional Jewish values —such as standing up for one’s beliefs and supporting other people—that remain relevant to modern-day civic activism

After a Q&A session, Garcetti was presented with a USC sweater as the 13th Warschaw lecturer. The mayor joked that he went to a UCLA elementary school, and therefore grew up with prejudices against USC. 

“But this shows that we can overcome our prejudices,” Garcetti said, holding up the sweatshirt. “Thank you, and Fight On.”

Contact Staff Reporter Heidi Carreon here.