Peter Koo was a taciturn pharmacist, but now as a New York City councilman who just started his second term this year, talking to people has become his full-time job.

"I didn't talk much when I was young. I used to wait for others to take the lead and make a change, though I would support them," said Koo, 61. "But later on I started to think that for many things 'if I don't do it, who will?' So gradually I have become proactive."

To improve the life of his constituents, mainly Chinese Americans, Koo typically would talk with the residents he met on the street, listen to their problems and try to work out a solution afterward. As a councilman Koo said his main tasks are to create jobs and solve problems related to housing, transportation and security, among other things.

"These basic problems may seem trivia, but to me if one can help solve them it is very significant," Koo said.

Born in Shanghai and raised in Hong Kong, Koo came to the US to attend college in 1971. Graduating with a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from the University of New Mexico, he had worked as a pharmacist in hospitals and pharmacies for more than a decade before becoming his own boss.

In 1991 Koo grabbed the chance to take over the pharmacy where he was working when his boss decided to quit due to a doubling in rent. Starting with only three staff members, Koo opened Starside Pharmacy and expanded it into a chain in Flushing, New York.

"It was hard for us (Chinese Americans) to reach higher levels working for others (in the US). We could only do so much with salaries, taking care of our own families," Koo said.

"But if I can have my own business and make it successful, I will be able to have spare money to help others," he said.

With his career taking off, Koo was able to share his fortune with the community. He founded the Peter Koo Community Charitable Organization, gave 20 wheelchairs to Elmhurst Hospital and $100,000 to LaGuardia Community College.

"I believe in the Chinese philosophy that we should be 'willing to let go', the phrase of which is literally composed of the word 'give' and 'gain' in Chinese, meaning by giving, you are in fact gaining," he said.

Life was good for Koo, but the entrepreneur and philanthropist decided to take yet another leap.

"I used to listen to my customers talking about all kinds of their problems. For some I could not offer solutions," said Koo. "That's when I realized that what I could do for people was very limited."

"Back then John Liu was the first Asian American elected to be a (NYC) councilman and I thought I could do what he was doing," he said. "I had the qualification, the foundation and more time because my children had already grown up."

To improve his chances of being able to run for a public service position, Koo joined the Republican Party, which is less popular among Chinese Americans in his district. "There were too many Democrat candidates. They would not have nominated me to run for office," he said.

Although Koo failed to unseat the New York state senator, Toby Stavisky, in 2008, the next year he managed to defeat his Democratic competitor and became the first elected Republican Asian-American New York City Council member.

The success did not build overnight. Although the Democrats held a clear advantage, Koo had won support over the years as a community activist who listened and cared.

Not only has he served as the chairman of program services for the Flushing Business Improvement District and president of the Flushing Chinese Business Association, but he has also been a board member of Community Board 7 of Queens, Queens General Hospital, La Guardia Community College Foundation and the Chinese Unit of America Cancer Society. The list goes on.

With his councilman's title, Koo has much more power to make a difference. He said his most gratifying first-term accomplishment was seeing the $850 million Flushing Commons mega-project approved. Koo was excited when he talked about the thousands of jobs the project could bring.

He does not, however, fit the mold of the average politician. He defected to the Democrats in 2012, not so much from political beliefs but to obtain a better platform from which to serve the public, he said.

"Ever since I got elected, the Democrats started to invite me over," Koo said. "The Republicans didn't have much resource here and I had to rely on myself. And frankly, it's really hard to push things to happen with a minority party." Forty-eight of the 51 New York City Council members are Democrats.

"Besides, the Republicans are indeed getting more extreme, not so friendly with immigrants," Koo said.

He said he has no plans to run for higher-level positions after his days as a city council member end.

"I love serving local people. My goal is that as long as I'm healthy I want to continue doing that," Koo said. "I always see the glass half full and I love what I have now."

Zhang Yang contributed to this story and can be reached at yangzhang@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 01/23/2014 page2)