Dozens of community members and elected representatives turned out for the Arab American Civic Council’s first anniversary of Little Arabia’s designation dinner on Wednesday, August 23 at the House of Mandi Restaurant in the heart of Anaheim’s Little Arabia.
The event was held to celebrate the first anniversary of the formal designation of Little Arabia after two decades of community engagement and advocacy and recognize the councilman who motioned to agendize the designation. The Anaheim City Council voted in favor of designating a portion of the Brookhurst Corridor, from Broadway to Ball, as Little Arabia.
Former Anaheim Councilman Dr. Jose Moreno was awarded the Solidarity in Action award for his exemplary leadership dedication to uplift underrepresented communities, including the Arab American community, and paving the way towards the formal designation of Little Arabia.
The event also featured brief remarks from Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken and Anaheim Councilman Carlos Leon, as well as representatives from the offices of State Senators Josh Newman and Tom Umberg, and State Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva.
The Arab American Civic Council will continue advocating for the Little Arabia community by serving on the City of Anaheim’s Brookhurst Corridor Study Group to recommend improvements, and working with the City and State governments to have official Little Arabia signage displayed on Brookhurst Street as well as a freeway sign.
