All throughout May, WTOP is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with stories about the people and places shaping the D.C. region.
The mayor of Falls Church, Virginia, is serving her third term on the city’s council. But she wasn’t always used to quaint life in a small city and she’s proud of where she comes from.
Letty Hardi, 44, is a first-generation immigrant who was born in Hong Kong before moving to San Francisco when she was just 5 years old.
“I spent most of my childhood in San Francisco, but we moved to the East Coast right before high school,” Hardi told WTOP. “So I spent probably half of my life over here as well. But that’s been a big part of my story: my immigrant upbringing.”
After her family settled in Fairfax County, Hardi went to the University of Virginia and also studied at Oxford University. The former executive at Capital One was first elected to the Falls Church City Council in 2015.
“I never want my race or gender to be the thing that I lead with. I never want people to think, ‘Oh, that’s where she is. She got there because of that.’ … Hopefully, people see my credentials, my resume, my policies,” Hardi said.
Her early years in San Francisco, where her family lived in a basement apartment, helped forge her political principles.
“I believe that housing and education have always been a core part of my policies, because that’s been important in my personal upbringing,” Hardi said. “As a first-generation immigrant, I always think those are things that are the great equalizers.”
Northern Virginia is home to a growing Asian American community, and Hardi said the region’s diversity is its strength.
“I think that Northern Virginia as a whole is really welcoming of all the incoming diversity. I think that’s what makes us great — all the different stories we bring and the needs and the interests of that diverse community coming together,” Hardi said.
The mayor expresses pride in the city she helps lead.
“Our nickname is ‘The Little City,’ because officially, I think we are at 2.2 square miles, which might be the smallest independent jurisdiction in Virginia,” she said. “We’re this little oasis in the middle of Northern Virginia.”
The “oasis” has some impressive perks for families that have decided to settle down in the walkable little city, according to Hardi.
“We have a fantastic school system. We have a lot of great economic development,” she outlined. “I think urban planners have this term called the ’15-Minute City.’ And I think we have all the makings of it, where you really can get all your daily needs met without ever having to get in your car if you don’t want to. For example, I walked and I biked to city hall today.”
The Falls Church mayor’s job is part-time but often requires Hardi to put in full-time hours. But she says seeing her impact in the community makes those longer days worth it.
“I do love this job,” said Hardi. “It’s a very rewarding job where you can make decisions on a Monday night and several months later see a decision happening in the city. I think nowhere else would I want to do this job because here, it feels like you are giving back to the city, and not traditionally like an elected official, per se.”
Now, she’s the mother of three boys, ages 12, 14 and 16. When she’s not bicycling or working at city hall, Hardi goes for runs, does yoga, and likes to cook and bake.
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