January 16th, 2023
The Honorable Mayor Rex Richardson and City Council Members 411 W Ocean Blvd, 11th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802
Feasibility of Developing a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan - Support Agenda Item 16 – January 17, 2023, Agenda
Dear Honorable Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson,
I am writing in support of District 6 Councilwoman Suely Saro’s Agenda Item to investigate the feasibility of developing a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan that can serve as a guide in the City's investments in its diverse population.
A Cultural Vision Plan will ensure we have a policy and planning framework that will effectively benefit our community, those disenfranchised and our city. Long Beach is a diverse and dynamic city, it is widely appreciated for recognizing and celebrating the diversity of our population, and for embracing the culture, peace, community and the arts that make up our city.
As a member of The African American Culture Center of Long Beach’s Programming Committee, I reach out to you today, January 16th, 2023. Where across the entire nation people are standing, praising and living in elation for all that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has done.
Presents the city of Long Beach with the ability to create Dr. King’s very dream, and to assist with the African American plight.
I urge you to support this item by voting yes on Agenda Item 16 for a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan.
Truly,
Christion Walker Douglas
African American Culture Center
Programming Committee
R-16 Correspondence – Charles Brown
From: Charles B. [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2023 4:01 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>; Council District 1 <[email protected]>; Council District 2 <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]>; Council District 4 <[email protected]>; Council District 5 <[email protected]>; Council District 6 <[email protected]>; Council District 7 <[email protected]>; Council District 8 <[email protected]>; Council District 9 <[email protected]>; Mayor <[email protected]>
Subject: Support of L.B. Cultural Vision Plan Item #16 1-17-23
-EXTERNAL-
Attached is my letter of support for Council Item #16 for tonight, 1-17-23 Council Meeting.
Charles Brown
January 12, 2023
The Honorable Mayor Rex Richardson and City Councilmembers 411 W Ocean Blvd, 11th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802
RE: Feasibility of Developing a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan - Support Agenda Item 16 – January 17, 2023 Agenda Dear Honorable Long Beach Mayor and City Councilmembers,
I am writing in support of District 6 Councilwoman Suely Saro’s Agenda Item to investigate the feasibility of developing a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan that can serve as a guide in the City's investments in its diverse population.
Long Beach was once known as the “International City” and it continues to be representative of a rich “melting pot” of cultures, ethnicities and beliefs. We celebrate our diversity in many ways along with embracing and advancing the arts in our diverse and dynamic city,
I join my brothers and sisters of this city in supporting this effort to determine a citywide vision and create ways in which we can recognize, celebrate and advance the diverse cultures represented here.
A Cultural Vision Plan will ensure we have a long-term policy and planning framework that will effectively serve residents and visitors alike. Other large cities with diverse populations, including San Diego, have recently began their city cultural planning process; meanwhile the City of Chicago has already implemented their city’s cultural plan.
I urge you to support this initiative by voting yes on Agenda Item 16 for a Long Beach
Cultural Vision Plan.
Sincerely,
Charles Brown, Secretary
African American Cultural Center of Long Beach
R-16 Correspondence – Jessica Gillette
From: Jessica Gillette [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2023 2:45 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>; Council District 1 <[email protected]>; Council District 2 <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]>; Council District 4 <[email protected]>; Council District 5 <[email protected]>; Council District 6 <[email protected]>; Council District 7 <[email protected]>; Council District 8 <[email protected]>; Council District 9 <[email protected]>; Mayor <[email protected]>
Subject: Letter in Support of Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan
-EXTERNAL-
Dear Honorable Long Beach Mayor and City Councilmembers:
Please find attached my letter in support of District 6 Councilwoman Suely Saro’s Agenda Item to investigate the feasibility of developing a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan that can serve as a guide in the City's investments in its diverse population.
I’m looking forward to attending the City Council meeting this evening.
Thank you,
Jessica Gillette
JESSICA O. GILLETTE ATTORNEY AT LAW 32 KENNEBEC AVENUE LONG BEACH, CA 90803 Telephone (310) 869-2664 [email protected] January 17, 2023 The Honorable Mayor Rex Richardson and City Councilmembers 411 W Ocean Blvd, 11th Floor Long Beach, CA 90802 RE: Feasibility of Developing a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan Support Agenda Item 16 – January 17, 2023 Agenda Dear Honorable Long Beach Mayor and City Councilmembers: Please accept this letter of support for District 6 Councilwoman Suely Saro’s Agenda Item to investigate the feasibility of developing a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan that can serve as a guide in the City's investments in its diverse population. I have been a resident of Long Beach since 2006. What drew my family to this city then was its diversity. For over 17 years, I remain proud to call the City of Long Beach my home. The Filipino community has a rich and significant history in Long Beach, with the first documented arrival in 1910 of Isidro Canlas who worked as a muleskinner and then as a foreman at a cement plant. The Filipino community makes up the largest Asian population in the cities of Long Beach and Signal Hill, with 22,472 people identifying as Filipino only and 2,094 identifying as Filipino in combination with another race. Filipinos make up 39% of the city’s Asian population, and the Asian population amounts to 13% of the city’s total population. We have the perfect opportunity here in Long Beach to create an official Filipinotown, to provide more representation for our City’s largest Asian population. We are fortunate to have active Filipino community leaders organize events that have drawn large crowds, such as the Long Beach Filipino Festival, Parol Lantern Festival, and the City of Long Beach Filipino American History Month Celebration. A Cultural Vision Plan will provide opportunities for development that span and enhance important public agendas, not just for the Filipino community but for other communities that comprise the rich cultural diversity of Long Beach. It will promote community building, as cultural events will give the community a sense of pride in our rich history, as well as dissolve The Honorable Mayor Rex Richardson and City Councilmembers January 17, 2023 2 stigmas, social isolation, and other social barriers. It will also revitalize cultural districts to strengthen the connection between local businesses and organizations. This will foster economic development, as culture appeals to travelers and creates tourism. Now is an important time to gather the creative potential that the City of Long Beach holds and focus it to create an identity that reflects our rich history and diversity. Thank you in advance for your support of this item by voting yes on Agenda Item 16 for a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan. Very truly yours, JESSICA O. GILLETTE
January 12, 2023
The Honorable Mayor Rex Richardson and City Councilmembers 411 W Ocean Blvd, 11th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802
RE: Feasibility of Developing a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan - Support Agenda Item 16 – January 17, 2023 Agenda
Dear Honorable Long Beach Mayor and City Councilmembers,
I am writing in support of District 6 Councilwoman Suely Saro’s Agenda Item to investigate the feasibility of developing a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan that can serve as a guide in the City's investments in its diverse population.
Long Beach is a diverse and dynamic city, and it is widely recognized for celebrating the diversity of our population, and for embracing and advancing the arts. The City is home to the Museum of Latin American Art, Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum, Homeland Cultural Center, Long Beach Japanese Cultural Center, Latino Cultural Center, African American Cultural Center, and current efforts are underway with and the Long Beach LGBTQ+ Cultural District and Cambodian American Cultural Center.
KUBO, a Filipino cultural center and collective, has created a working model in Bixby Knolls and just signed a lease along the Atlantic corridor to further develop this model and mission. The African American Cultural Center operates out of the Expo Arts Center in Bixby Knolls and is an excellent model to be replicated throughout the city.
A city like Los Angeles embraces its rich cultural makeup with neighborhoods known as Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Little Armenia, and Little Ethiopia to name a few. Long Beach’s “Cambodia Town” is a good start with so much more potential.
The benefits of having a Cultural Vision Plan are enormous. A Cultural Vision Plan will ensure we have a policy and planning framework that will effectively serve residents and visitors alike. Other large cities with diverse populations, including San Diego, have recently began their city cultural planning process; meanwhile the City of Chicago has already implemented their city’s cultural plan.
As we continue to celebrate our City’s diverse population, a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan will provide long-term policy and planning framework that uplifts and preserves our diverse communities’ cultural traditions, events, and way of life as neighborhoods grow and ensure small businesses succeed.
I urge you to support this item by voting yes on Agenda Item 16 for a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan.
Sincerely,
Blair Cohn
Executive Director
Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association
January 13, 2023
The Honorable Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson and City Councilmembers 411 W Ocean Blvd, 11th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802
RE: Feasibility of Developing a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan – Support Agenda Item 16 – January 17, 2023 Agenda
Dear Honorable Mayor Richardson and City Councilmembers, I write in support of Agenda Item 16, authored by Councilwoman Suely Saro, which requests that the City Manager investigate the feasibility of developing a Long Beach Cultural Vision Plan.
The Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau supports a comprehensive approach to creating a Cultural Vision Plan that honors and serve ours diverse population, and embraces cultural arts, history, districts, events and traditions for the benefit of the City of Long Beach and its communities.
As one of the most diverse cities in the nation with significant cultural corridors, institutions, performing arts, and small businesses, Long Beach is deserving of a visioning plan to guide the devotion of resources and strategies to benefit them.
Sincerely,
Steve Goodling
President & CEO
Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau