LANSING, Mich. — Trini Pehlivanoglu said she’ll never forget the memories she had at Cristo Rey, one of very few Hispanic churches in Lansing.
“The way I was brought up and the way I was raised, it was always important to include the cultural aspect of our lives,” Pehlivanoglu said. :You could find Bilingual services and all of our books are in English and Spanish, so there’s just a variety here.”
Pehlivanoglu hopes to keep that culture close to her heart as she breaks history here in Lansing.
Back in November she was elected into one of two open at large council seats, making her the first Latina to ever serve on Lansing City council.
“Certainly, we’ve had great Latinos in office,” she said. “But, to be the first woman, having being raised in Lansing with a strong cultural background in my life is very meaning to me.”
Pehlivanoglu believes in her new role, allows her to show true representation for the Lansing’s Hispanic community, which according to the US census, makes up over 12% of the city’s population.
“You might not think that city politics has anything to do with you. You may not think that what we talk about has nothing to do with you when you’re younger, but as you get older, you’re going to see that there are people who look like you, you are up similar to you in local government,” Pehlivanoglu said.
As one of the newest council members, Pehlivanoglu wants to focus on addressing the gun violence issue, making schools safety, and working with youth, something her supporters are certain she’ll be successful at.
“She represents the new leadership of our community,” said Hispanic Community Activist Lorenzo Lopez. “I represent the older guard and she represents the new guard and that’s extremely important.”
“I’m just here to serve the residents of Lansing,” Pehlivanoglu said.
Pehlivanoglu's term runs until 2027.
