San Jose Podcaster Turns Residents Into Advocates

Ellina Yin has spent the past several years turning the mechanics of local government into something San Jose residents can use. Yin, a San Jose-born activist and founder of Only in San José, runs two civic education podcasts — “Only in San Jose” and “Only in Santa Clara County” — that walk listeners through City Council meetings, county budgets and public commissions. In March 2024, the City of San José’s Office of Racial and Social Equity launched a multilingual Civics Master Class developed with Yin’s organization. Yin told San José Spotlight on May 31 that the project is meant to give residents the knowledge and confidence to act inside government, not just react to it. ### Who is Ellina Yin, and what did she build? Ellina Yin founded Only in San José in 2019 with what her organization describes as a mission to build “a culture of civic participation” in the city. In 2020, the group launched “San José’s first civic education podcast,” according to the organization’s website, and later expanded with “Only in Santa Clara County,” a sister podcast focused on county government. (sanjosespotlight.com) San José Spotlight reported on May 31 that Yin, 40, was born in San Jose to Cambodian immigrant parents who spoke limited English. The article said she began helping them deal with government agencies at age 6, later worked for about a decade in construction and architecture, and learned how development projects move through public review. (onlyinsj.org) ### Why did she decide to teach people how City Hall works? A 2018 San Jose City Council meeting over Google’s proposed Downtown West project pushed Yin toward civic education, according to San José Spotlight. The article said many opponents showed up late in the process, after an earlier Planning Commission review had already taken place, and Yin concluded residents were often participating “at a point in time when it’s not most effective.” (sanjosespotlight.com) Yin’s podcasts are built around that gap. San José Spotlight said the shows explain how to give public comment at City Council meetings, how county budgets work and what public commissions do. Apple Podcasts describes “Only in Santa Clara County” as a civic education project aimed at “demystifying and democratizing” local government participation. (sanjosespotlight.com) ### What do the podcasts and classes actually teach? The City of San José says its Civics Master Class is designed to help residents become “active participant[s]” in local government. A March 14, 2024 city news release said the program was developed with Only in San José and was aimed in part at increasing civic participation among immigrant communities. (sanjosespotlight.com) Only in San José’s own site says the city podcast focuses on civic participation in San José, while the county podcast does the same for Santa Clara County. San José Spotlight reported that Yin adapted material from the podcasts into the city-backed class after working with the Office of Racial and Social Equity. ### Are listeners actually moving into government roles? (sanjoseca.gov) San José Spotlight reported that some participants have gone beyond attending meetings and have become city commissioners. Yin told the outlet, “People are taking the classes and going the most intense route — becoming a city commissioner.” San Jose maintains an active boards and commissions system, with volunteer seats across bodies including the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Airport Commission and Treatment Plant Advisory Committee. (onlyinsj.org) The city clerk’s pages say residents can apply to serve and that most positions are appointed by the City Council. ### What issues are these residents showing up on? (sanjosespotlight.com) San José Spotlight photographed Yin waiting to speak on data center regulation at a San Jose City Council committee meeting. The city’s planning pages show an active San Jose Data Center proposal for a 396,914-square-foot project near an existing power plant and wastewater treatment facility, and related environmental review documents remained posted by the city as of late May. (sanjoseca.gov) Santa Clara County’s water supply is another live issue in the region. Valley Water says the county relies heavily on imported water and tracks supply conditions through public data and monthly updates, making water use a recurring subject for residents and advocates who follow local infrastructure debates. ### Where can residents follow the next step? The City of San José’s Civics Master Class page says residents can use the online course and follow the Office of Racial and Social Equity for upcoming in-person sessions. (sanjosespotlight.com) Only in San José’s website also lists both podcasts and newsletter sign-ups for future episodes and updates. (sanjoseca.gov) (valleywater.org)