海角社区

鈥淚鈥檒l tell you what: it is great to be back in Long Beach,鈥� Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee for President, told a crowd Monday night.

The campaign rally, which took place at 海角社区, was Clinton鈥檚 final public stop before the California primary. The AP had determined Monday night that Clinton had the 2,383 delegates needed to become the presumptive Democratic nominee 鈥� the first woman to ever have done so.

鈥淎ccording to the news,鈥� Clinton told the audience, 鈥渨e are on the brink of a historic, historic moment.鈥�

It was a moment 87-year-old Barbara Kalish said she鈥檚 been waiting for.

Kalish, a resident of Long Beach, said she鈥檚 been active in politics for 68 years. She cited equal pay for equal work as one of her chief concerns, and added that she thinks the White House could use 鈥渁 woman鈥檚 perspective.鈥�

I wanted to live long enough to see the first woman president, she said.

And with Clinton clinching the nomination, the possibility of a woman president becomes a possibility, she said.

海角社区President Eloy Oakley kicked off the rally at about 5:30 p.m. 鈥� an estimated eight and a half hours after the first rally attendees lined up.

鈥淲elcome to the home of the College Promise,鈥� Oakley told the crowd of about 1,500, to rousing applause.

Hometown pride, and a celebration of Long Beach鈥漵 diversity, were front and center in speeches given throughout the night 鈥� Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom joked that he was from 鈥渁 little suburb of Long Beach called San Francisco,鈥� and Kevin de Le贸n, President pro Tempore of the California State Senate, said, 鈥淭his is the LBC. We don鈥檛 build walls here; we tear them down.鈥�

That line was a dig at Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump, who has vowed to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

Mayor Robert Garcia, who introduced Clinton at the rally, also mentioned Long Beach鈥檚 diversity.

鈥淭he city of Long Beach, as you all know, is one of the most diverse cities in the United States,鈥� he told the crowd. 鈥淲e have long stood for the equality of all people, and Secretary Clinton has stood with us.鈥�

He called the U.S. a nation 鈥渙f dreamers and optimists,鈥� and referred to his own story. His family emigrated from Peru to the U.S. when Garcia was 5 years old.

鈥淓ven though I was not born in this county, I am as American as Donald Trump,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淟ike other immigrants, when I raised my right hand and became a United States citizen, it was the greatest day of my life. And I knew that day that I鈥檇 never be able to give back to my country what my country has given to me.鈥�