17 (3)
Public Comment
From:Theresa Bass
Sent:Monday, August 22, 2022 11:53 AM
To:Public Comment
Subject:Fwd: \[EXTERNAL\] (Sen. Newman) Letter of Support: Designation of Little Arabia
Attachments:Senator Newman_Letter of Support_Official Designation of Little Arabia_8.23.22.pdf
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Bass, Nathan" <Nathan.Bass@sen.ca.gov>
Date: August 22, 2022 at 11:45:27 AM PDT
To: Theresa Bass <tbass@anaheim.net>
Cc: Trevor O'Neil <TONeil@anaheim.net>, Jose Diaz <JoDiaz@anaheim.net>, "Gloria S. Ma'ae"
<GMaae@anaheim.net>, Jose Moreno <JMoreno@anaheim.net>, Avelino Valencia
<AValencia@anaheim.net>, Stephen Faessel <SFaessel@anaheim.net>
Subject: \[EXTERNAL\] (Sen. Newman) Letter of Support: Designation of Little Arabia
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Good Morning City Clerk,
I hope you are doing well.
I am writing in advance of the city council meeting of August 23, 2022, to provide council members with
a letter from Senator Newman pertaining to the potential designation of Little Arabia as an official
district within Anaheim.
Senator Newman strongly supports action by the Anaheim City Council to provide Little Arabia with an
official designation.
Physical copies of this letter have also been prepared by Senator Newman and will be transmitted to city
council at the meeting tomorrow. Please let me know if you have any questions about this.
Best regards,
Nathan Bass
District Representative
Office of Senator Josh Newman | District 29
Website | Facebook | Instagram
o: (714) 525-2342
1
August 23, 2022
The Honorable Jose Diaz
Member, Anaheim City Council
200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
The Honorable Gloria Ma’ae
Member, Anaheim City Council
200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
The Honorable Jose F. Moreno
Member, Anaheim City Council
200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
The Honorable Avelino Valencia
Member, Anaheim City Council
200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
The Honorable Stephen Faessel
Member, Anaheim City Council
200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
The Honorable Trevor O’Neil
Member, Anaheim City Council
200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
Dear Councilmembers Diaz, Ma’ae, Moreno, Valencia, Faessel, and O’Neill:
I am writing to express my strong support for the proposal to official ly designate the area within the
corridor of Brookhurst Street between Interstate 5 and Katella Avenue as “Little Arabia ” by the City of
Anaheim.
Little Arabia, as it is already known to so many, has become a well-recognized landmark and cultural
destination which welcomes thousands of diners, shoppers, and worshippers each week. For the past
decade, I have had the privilege of patronizing many of the small businesses in this corridor, and in my
capacity as the area’s representative to the California State Senate, I have come to fully appreciate the
integral role that Little Arabia has come to play as part of the diverse cultural fabric of Southern
California.
Since the 1980s, Little Arabia has shone as a destination for Arab-American immigrants to pursue their
entrepreneurial passions. It is in this region of Southwest Anaheim that Arab -American restaurateurs,
merchants, attorneys, and daycare providers coalesced to create a thriving enclave of small businesses,
and in doing so, establish a cultural centerpiece in North Orange County. More than 150 businesses now
line the corridor : restaurants, markets, clothing stores, daycare centers, law offices, and more. In
addition to the local businesses that have come to flourish in this area , the Arab American community
has constructed faith-based institutions including Islamic centers and mosques that serve the greater
community.
Over that time, Little Arabia has served as an economic engine for what had previously become an
underutilized retail area. Official designation by the City Council would commemorate the tangible
investments, and resulting benefits, that the Little Arabia business community has brought to the City of
Anaheim.
As noted in the Anaheim Economic Development Department’s report of August 9, 2022 , the City
Council may at its discretion designate Little Arabia as a Cultural Distri ct, as a Business Improvement
District, or as a Historical District, among various other district types. The adoption of such a designation
would allow the City to denote the area through descriptive public signage, as well as to invest in
culturally relevant beautification and capital improvement projects.
A majority of Anaheim residents support the official designation of Little Arabia by the City. A 2021 poll
by the Arab American Civic Council and the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at the University of California,
San Diego found that more than half of surveyed Anaheim residents favor such a designation; and
among respondents who have previously visited the area, fully 75% indicate such support.
It is for those reasons that I strongly support action by the Anaheim City Council to provide Little Arabia
with an official designation. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or Nathan Bass on
my staff at nathan.bass@sen.ca.gov or (714) 525-2342.
Thank you for your consideration, as well as your service to the City of Anaheim.
Sincerely,
Josh Newman
Senator, 29th District