LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Hundreds of community members came to celebrate the official designation of Filipino Town as a Clark County Cultural District.
Filipino Town stretches for 1.5 miles on Maryland Parkway between Desert Inn and Flamingo Road.
The decades-long dream has finally come to fruition for more than 200,000 Filipinos across Nevada, many of whom live in the Las Vegas Valley.
Long-time Las Vegas leader Rozita Lee, almost 91 years old, got to unveil the sign before the crowd. FOX5 told you how Lee personally submitted the application for Filipino Town, who helped grow businesses along the bustling corridor.
“I saw the pride in them, and I was so happy… people loved the fact that we have an area that is designated for us, for the Filipinos,” said
People traveled from across the Las Vegas Valley, West Coast and even the Philippines to attend the celebration.
Many people wore traditional attire for special celebrations– “barongs” for the men, or “filipinianas” or “boleros” for the women.
“We have over 200,000 Filipinos and we haven’t touched all of them. I’m glad that we have a Filipino town. This is a time for us to really rally together and to be civically engaged,” Lee said.
The brand-new Filipino American Museum at the Boulevard Mall opened for the day, debuting art, cultural items and historical pieces. The Museum will officially open to the public in about a month.
History lessons and music lessons are planned for the museum, Lee said.
Lee is focusing on the next project: a cultural center for the Filipino community.
“Where do we get together to meet, to learn about not only the culture and the history of our country, Philippines, but we have to go forward. How do we train our people, our young people especially, to go forward, and our seniors?” Lee said, envisioning classes for cooking, youth sports like basketball, and community resources for seniors. The space can hold events such as galas and more, Lee said.
Leaders are still looking for a building that could serve as a cultural center, Lee said.
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