"The First Latino Elected to Public Office in Davidson County"

John Arriola

In today's Tennessean, newly elected Council member Fabian Bedne was referred to as the "first Latino elected to public office in Davidson County." I do not believe that is correct. I think that distinction goes to embattled County Court Clerk John Arriola. I have done a thorough Google search and cannot confirm this but somehow, I seem to recall that Arriola's parents were from Cuba.

In 1990 Arriola was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 55th District where he served for twelve years. John was elected as the Davidson County Clerk in 2006.

John is a native and lifetime resident of Nashville. He does not have an accent but "Arriola" is a Spanish name and John looks ethnic. John’s mother and father are Norman and Viola. They manage a restaurant owned by John Arriola, called Norma Couser's Country Kitchen. It is good meat and three located across from the zoo. They serve great cat fish. Normal Counser had been in the restaurant business since 1948. In August 1987 he married Viola Arriola.

I know this is not terribly important but when I see an assertion that I think is not true, I want to set the record straight. I have emailed John Arriola and asked him if he is of Cuban extraction and his ancestry. If I get a reply from John or confirmation from other sources I will update this post. I have also emailed the writer of The Tennessean article, Michael Cass, asking him to fact check his story.

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