Palisades Park mayoral hopeful: Don't 'vote for any Korean candidate'

Kristie Cattafi | NorthJersey

Show Caption Hide Caption Rally against discrimination in Palisades Park, NJ Community members rally against racism and intolerance in Palisades Park, NJ.

PALISADES PARK — For the second time this year, ethnic Korean candidates for borough offices have been targeted in a vitriolic social media post concerning their candidacies and their race.

Anthony "Willie" Sambogna, an independent candidate for mayor, accused Councilman Chris Chung, who narrowly won the Democratic nomination to run for mayor in the June primary, of making the November general election about "Korean power" in a Facebook post.

"This is not the year to vote for any Korean candidate," Sambogna wrote on Facebook. "None of them have the vision or knowledge to be serving on our town council."

Sambogna, who admitted to writing the post, said he didn't think it was racist and that he supports the Korean community and businesses. He said he also worked to help elect Korean Board of Education trustees in the past.

Chung could not be reached for comment.

Sambogna said he encouraged people not to vote for Chung and his running mates — not because they are ethnically Korean, but because he feels they aren't qualified.

"They try to make everything about race instead of talking about the real issues," Sambogna said. "I'm trying to bring forward real issues, but they're trying to make it a campaign of Korean versus non-Koreans."

In recent years, tensions have mounted between some of the older white residents and more recent immigrants from South Korea, who make up one of North Jersey's fastest-growing ethnic minorities, with many living and opening businesses in Palisades Park.

Asians make up 57 percent of the town's population — a figure that has held steady for two decades, according to U.S. Census data.

But Sambogna's post is also evidence of how some of the racially charged language that has been recently used at the highest echelons of American political power has filtered down to the the most basic of offices in local government.

Sambogna's post was written a month after Mayor James Rotundo's mother made disparaging racial comments on social media about Koreans while election officials were in the midst of recounts to determine whether Rotundo or Chung would win the Democratic nomination to run for mayor.

"Go to hell PALISADES PARK, let the GD KOREANS have this F'n town," Lorraine Rotundo commented in a Facebook post. "All of us AMERICANS are so done. I am going to suggest that only English be spoken in our Boro Hall at least while an AMERICAN is still the mayor."

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Lorraine Rotundo has since deleted the post, and the mayor has apologized on behalf his mother.

In her Facebook post, Lorraine Rotundo alleged that "illegal voting" was done in the primary election by Koreans, who make up more than 50 percent of the borough's population.

In his post, Sambogna also urged residents to vote for "the only council candidate who is non Korean," John Mantone, a write-in candidate for the Republican ticket.

"Chung and his running mates are all Korean. That's never happened here before," Sambogna said. "What's that all about? That's not unifying the town, that's for sure. That sends a bad message out there."

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Two people escorted out of Palisades Park meeting Two people were escorted from the Palisades Park council meeting on June 26.

After the mayor's mother made her comments, rallies were held by the Korean-American community in town and emotions ran high at the June 26 council meeting, where two people were escorted out by police.

The mayor informed the public that employees had attended sensitivity training and that they will hold more classes in the future. He also mentioned that a new social media policy would soon be implemented.

Koreans are also becoming more active in borough government, attending council meetings when they are concerned about an issue. The town has also hired more employees of Korean ancestry, including its current borough clerk. A few years ago, some residents successfully lobbied to have a Korean interpreter translate at council meetings.

The growth of the town’s Korean population, though, hasn’t come without tension. When more Koreans opened businesses, town residents complained about the signage with Korean lettering. There also have been allegations of racism during past elections.

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