Annyeonghaseyo (안녕 하세요, Hello)! New signs have been unveiled in northwest Dallas that include the Korean language, according to The Dallas Morning News. They are the first bilingual signs in the city’s history.
The Korean translation has been added to signs at the intersections of Harry Hines Boulevard, Royal Lane, and Newkirk Street. This area in North Dallas, unofficially known as “K-town,” is where most of the estimated 41,000 Korean-Americans live in Dallas, which has the ninth-largest Korean American community in the U.S. The Dallas Express previously reported that residents and business owners have been pushing for the area to be designated as Koreatown, a vision that is now coming to life.
John Lee, director of the Greater Dallas Korean American Chamber of Commerce, has been leading efforts to make this change. He said this area of town has become a vital component of Dallas commerce and should be recognized.
“Forty years ago, our immigrant generation took an impoverished industrial area, and steadily began building, putting businesses, right here. [Their] fruitful work is proudly being recognized today,” said Lee during the unveiling.
At the ceremony, community members stood alongside prominent leaders to celebrate the accomplishment. Representative Rafael Anchía, the Texas House member who represents District 103, said the state is working on filing a concurrent resolution to officially recognize Koreatown with state designation. The plan is for the designation to last 10 years before it must be renewed.
“It not only creates state recognition, but it also creates an opportunity for us to start putting signs on the interstate and state highways designating this area,” said Anchía. “I just say from the state of Texas, we’re incredibly grateful for the contributions of the community, to not only Dallas and the greater metroplex, but also to the entire state.”
The one-mile stretch of town falls in City Council Member Omar Narvaez’s district. He said Dallas wouldn’t be the same without “K-town.”
“Installing Korean/English street signs in Northwest Dallas is an important step in recognizing the important contributions of the Korean community in the city of Dallas,” Narvaez said in a written statement on Wednesday.
The unveiling of the new signs coincides with a special milestone for Korean-Americans of Dallas. Friday marks the 120th anniversary of the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the U.S. Tina Clinton, Dallas County Court Judge, said this is a significant moment in Korean history. Clinton is the first Asian in Texas history to be elected in the criminal courts.
“Language is a huge part of the uniqueness of Korean culture, so to be able to showcase that, to show that we have a Korean American community in Dallas, makes people curious,” she told The Dallas Express. “I think it means we all learn more about each other, appreciate each other, and those differences are a plus.”
Back in November, Narvaez publicly stated his support for the project and said he hoped to start seeing the designation of Koreatown in early 2023. He said the next project is to add “Koreatown” to the Royal Lane DART station.