Public Eye

I don't know him, but I always enjoyed the dispatches from L.A. Times reporter Hector Tobar when he was stationed in Mexico City, and I've been enjoying his column since his return to Spring Street.

Tobar did an especially good job on the enigma of a Gil Cedillo -- a kid from Boyle Heights who made good, only to be chastised during his recent race for Congress for living high on the hog, for being such a big spender of contributors' money on fancy food and clothes.

But in his wrap-up Tuesday of the 32nd Congressional District race that Cedillo lost to Judy Chu in the Democratic Primary, I had to pause at this line: "Chu's victory in the barrios of El Monte, Temple City and other places ..."

Barrios -- in hyper-middle-class TC? There aren't any. The Latino families who live there are sprinkled around in the mostly Asian and white city.

And, oh yeah -- Temple City is not even in the 32nd District. It's in Adam Schiff's 29th District.

Other than that, point of the column well taken: It's a good thing for us, for the future of the San Gabriel Valley, that so many Latinos felt comfortable voting for a candidate with an Asian name.