Bilingual street signs a step towards recognizing Dallas' Koreatown
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Dallas is home to the largest number of Korean Americans in Texas and on Friday, the city took a step to officially designate part of the city as Koreatown.
Eight bilingual street signs were placed on the intersection of Royal Lane and Harry Hines Boulevard in both English and Korean. It was a moment that will forever change this area of northwest Dallas.
"This is a very significant moment," said John Lee, Chairperson of the Koreatown Initiative.
"This is a starting point, I'm very excited what's going to accompany soon, more bright, more safety so many people can come to this area and enjoy Korean food," said HK Kim, former President of the Greater Dallas Korean American Chamber of Commerce.
For decades, Korean Americans who live here have wanted to be recognized and to re-invigorate this area. The ceremony included a performance showing off Korean culture.
"When you're given an opportunity to take ownership of an area, now we can pour into money, energy, effort, all of those things," added Kim.
This community suffered heartbreak when a gunman opened fire at a hair salon last May, injuring three Korean woman in what officials believe was a hate crime.
Now with this vital step, the community hopes the state will also officially recognize it as Koreatown in Dallas and make this place a destination spot. A resolution in the Texas legislature would make Koreatown a state designation, which would place signs along highways to alert people to where the area is located.
"We need change, we can't do it internally because we are who we are, but we need other people to recognize that and to be able to see who we are and what we can provide and what the Korean American culture is," said Lee.