Localities Across California Declare March Afghan-American Heritage Month
SACRAMENTO, CA – Localities across Southern and Northern California have declared March Afghan-American Heritage Month. The cities and counties of Sacramento County, Alameda County, and the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego came together to celebrate the contributions of Afghan-Americans. Alameda County is set to recognize the month on March 12th while San Diego will do so on the 16th.
“Afghan Americans are the cornerstones of our Sacramento County community, especially as new arrivals have been able to build a safe haven here in the state’s capitol,” says Sacramento County Board Supervisor Kennedy. “I am proud to sponsor this resolution honoring and recognizing their special contributions.”
“As we reflect on the rich cultural tapestry of Afghan American heritage, we are reminded of the strength and beauty that comes from embracing diverse cultures,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman. “Last week, my office presented a resolution to commemorate March as Afghan American Heritage Month in the City of Los Angeles— proudly honoring the vibrant culture, traditions, and valuable contributions of the Afghan American community to our City, which enriches the lives of all who call Los Angeles home.”
“Afghan-Americans are a fabric of the American landscape,” says Zuhal Bahaduri, co-founder and executive director of The 5ive Pillars Organization. “Through this proclamation we are deepening our appreciation of the rich tapestry of Afghan heritage, recognizing Afghan-Americans for their great contributions across the state, and providing a valuable opportunity to preserve our culture while it faces erasure in Afghanistan.”
“As an Afghan-American born and raised in Northern California, I have witnessed firsthand how Afghans were not just refugees but pillars for the new communities they built in Sacramento County and the Bay Area,” says Lida Azim, co-founder and co-director of Afghans For A Better Tomorrow. “Today’s resolution is both an acknowledgment of our community’s contributions and a signal that this is another step in the right direction for our diaspora.”
The counties of Sacramento, Alameda, Santa Clara and the city of Los Angeles and San Diego have come to recognize how the Afghan diaspora has made this part of California a better place. California remains one of the top welcoming places for asylum seekers and immigrants.
Afghan-American Heritage Month coincides with “Nowruz,” which marks the arrival of spring and symbolizes light, rebirth, new beginnings, nature, love, beauty - and the first day of the year in Afghanistan.
Text of the resolution can be found here - Sac Proclamation - AfgAm Month
Both The 5ive Pillars Organization and Afghans For A Better Tomorrow are grassroots, community-led organizations that have been frontline responders since the United States withdrew its military presence from Afghanistan in August of 2021. Collectively, they have welcomed hundreds of Afghans and other migrant newcomers to California and throughout the rest of the country.
Over 100,000 Afghan newcomers have entered the United States since 2021, marking the biggest wave of new Afghan-Americans in the U.S. since this immigrant population first resettled since the Soviet invasion of 1979. These newcomers still face much uncertainty about their ability to remain permanently and rebuild their lives in the US. With the passing of Afghan Adjustment Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation that was initially introduced in Congress in 2022, it would provide a well deserved pathway for Afghan newcomers and provide relief for Afghan allies left behind.
The 5ive Pillars Organization is an Afghan-American led organization that aids in the resettlement of newcomer migrants in Northern California.
Afghans For A Better Tomorrow (AFBT) is a community and advocacy organization that organizes the Afghan-American community to bring about systemic change in the U.S. and beyond to ensure all Afghans have lives of safety, dignity, and freedom.
