Folsom's Asian American community held its first candidate forum Wednesday, Sept. 30, drawing more than 100 residents to hear from City Council and school board hopefuls.

The two-hour event at the Robert H. Miller III Rotary Clubhouse on Baldwin Dam Road featured all seven Folsom City Council candidates and four Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD) board candidates, as first reported by the Folsom Times. Multiple council and school board seats are on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot.

The Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA) Folsom Chapter, a nonpartisan civic-engagement nonprofit, organized the forum with seven Asian American community groups. Student volunteers from Folsom-area high schools and California State University, Sacramento, helped run the program.

Asian and Pacific Islander residents account for roughly 20% of Folsom's population, according to organizers. World Population Review lists the city's Asian population at about the same share.

APAPA Folsom Chapter President Jessica Xu called the forum a milestone. She said it "may have been the first time that the Folsom Asian community organized a public forum specifically for City Council and School Board candidates."

The co-hosting groups were Suvidha International Foundation, Telugu Association Sacramento, NorthSouth Foundation, Indian Association of Sacramento, Manabadi, Sacramento Chinese Cultural Foundation and Folsom Chinese School. APAPA National President Kris Concepcion attended.

Xu said organizers hope the forum becomes a model for future election cycles. The Nov. 3 general election includes multiple Folsom City Council and FCUSD board seats.