Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua claps back at L.A. Mayor Karen Bass over “poquito”

Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua says she was “a little offended” after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spoke about Santa Ana, and she addressed it in a sit-down on the Juice Unlocked podcast.

The clip, posted Sept. 14, previews a longer interview now on the Juice Unlocked YouTube channel. Amezcua was asked why she thought Bass was pushing back and whether she had seen the clip of Bass online.

What Amezcua said

Amezcua pointed to Bass's use of the word “poquito,” Spanish for “a little.” She said Bass should have mentioned Santa Ana's large Vietnamese community too, then joked that she doesn't know how to say “poquito” in Vietnamese and will have to learn.

She also said she had nothing bad to say about Bass. Amezcua said the two had dinner when she was first elected, and that Bass was kind to her and offered whatever guidance she could give.

Asked whether Bass was throwing a jab, Amezcua said it might be because Bass thinks Amezcua threw one at her first. Amezcua said that in all the media coverage on homelessness, she never talked about any other mayor or city.

“I was a little offended. She should say the Vietnamese, too, because we have a very large Vietnamese population.”

Her focus: Santa Ana

Amezcua said people tried to get her to weigh in on L.A., and she would not. She said she isn't the mayor of other cities, and that her job is to clean up Santa Ana because that is what her voters, constituents and families want.

The full interview on YouTube also covers ICE, homelessness and public safety, according to its title.

“I have nothing bad to say about Karen Bass.”

“I don't talk about other cities because I only worry about Santa Ana.”

“My job is to clean up Santa Ana because that's what my voters and my constituents and my families want.”

Watch the full interview

▶ Interviews1:14:03

Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua Speaks Out on Karen Bass, ICE, Homelessness, Public Safety & More!

SEP 14, 2026 · 820 VIEWS