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Did you know that there were almost 300,000 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area? Well, there are and they comprise almost 3% of the city's population. Now the city wants to build the local community a cultural center.
You probably had no idea that since May 30, the city's Office of Cultural Affairs has been holding town hall meetings to discuss the Asian American Cultural Center. Then again, you probably didn't know the city was hoping to build an Asian American Cultural Center. You're forgiven: It was but a relatively small slice of the 2006 bond program, which set aside $350,000 for an Asian Cultural Center Master Plan Study and a comprehensive feasibility study, which is currently being conducted by HOK, the renowned architectural firm.
The OCA's got a newly refurbished Web site full of preliminary docs and past town hall presentations (which have thus far been sparsely attended), not to mention a list of the three final town halls scheduled for September. But keep this in mind: The city has no idea where it will build the Asian American Cultural Center, nor does it have any money to pay for it.
"The town halls are to determine the parameters for site selection," Cultural Programs Coordinator Greg MacPherson tells Unfair Park. "We're trying to determine what the programming needs are and how that translates to square footage and acreage required to build that type of facility." He adds that there's no build-by deadline -- because how this'll get funded is determined by future bond schedules. But if you want a say in how such a facility would look, well, now's your chance: "This is all about what the Asian community in Dallas would require in a facility of this nature," says MacPherson.
It sounds like this project is far from completion, but could be a real focal point for the community once it's done. Does anyone know the politics involved in this?
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I'm originally from the DFW area, and my parents still live there. As members of the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce, they're very active in the community. The 3% statistic actually doesn't do justice to the growth and impact of the Asian American community in DFW. If you take the massive land area of the DFW Metroplex as the backdrop, it doesn't seem like Asian Americans comprise much of the population. However, when you look at the concentrations in particular cities, then things are very different. In cities such as Dallas, Plano (one of the top 10 cities in America in Asian American population), Garland, Richardson, and Carrollton, Asian Americans comprise big chunks of the population. There are political subdivisions where the Asian American population is 15-20% or more. In 2008, there was a race between a Chinese American Republican and a Vietnamese American Democrat, both women, to replace a retiring state representative in the Richardson/Garland area. Republican State Rep. Angie Chen Button won.
Politically, I think this project should have few obstacles. The mayor and city council have traditionally had strong ties with the Asian American community, including current mayor Tom Leppert. With an Asian American state rep, numerous Asian Americans on city boards and commissions, plus other strong allies such as Congressswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (an active member of the Congressional APA Caucus), Sheriff Lupe Valdez, there are numerous advocates at all levels of government.
What's happening in Dallas is an example of what's happening all over Texas (and in other states) because of the changes that have been taking place over the last several decades. In Austin, we already have an Asian American Community Center, and the city did a bond a few years ago to build an Asian American Resource Center that will house all the various Asian American organizations in Austin, provide performance and event spaces, classrooms, and more. A city board has been created to oversee that construction and running of the AARC. I'm not as knowledgeable about Houston, but I know there are even more resources and infrastructure for the Asian American community there.
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