DALLAS — The area in Dallas once unofficially known as Koreatown can now claim that title officially.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law on Tuesday a unanimously House- and Senate-approved legislation to designate part of the city as Koreatown Dallas for a 10-year period.
State Rep. Rafael Anchía (D-Dallas), who co-authored HCR 39 and co-sponsored SCR 31, said the "Koreatown" title will be designated to Royal Lane in Northwest Dallas from Harry Hines Boulevard to Luna Road.
With Abbott's signature, the designation will formally be in place through 2033.
Rep. Anchía said he hopes the designation will recognize, honor and celebrate Dallas' Korean-American community.
“Immigrants are the oxygen that flows through the veins of the Texas economy,” he said. “We are incredibly grateful for the contributions of the Korean community to Dallas.”
Abbott's signature completes a goal that's been pushed by Korean Dallasites since the beginning of the year.
The city created English-Korean street signs for the area in January (on Korean American Day). HCR 39 was then heard by a Texas House committee in April with testimony from major local Korean American leaders.
The area near Royal Lane and Harry Hines has been colloquially referred to as Dallas' Koreatown for years — it's home to the largest Korean American community in Texas. The mix of restaurants and businesses in the neighborhood represents a greater immigrant community estimated at some 100,000 strong.
"Dallas has one of the largest Korean communities in America," Anchía said in a press release he sent out celebrating the proposal being signed into law. "Their hard work has made Koreatown an important economic engine for our city. This designation officially recognizes that work by the State of Texas and builds upon the positive momentum of this neighborhood."
NOTE: The following video was uploaded in April 2023