San Francisco County Municipal Code Ch. 107E Pacific Islander Cultural District

Sec. 107E.1. Findings. Sec. 107E.2. Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development Responsibilities; Cultural, History, Housing, and Economic Sustainability Strategy Report.

The Pacific Islander Cultural District (the “District”) within the City and County of San Francisco is a vital and deeply rooted community that enriches the City’s multicultural landscape. In establishing the District, the City acknowledges the importance of recognizing the Pacific Islander community’s longstanding history in San Francisco and preserving the cultural, artistic, and civic traditions that sustain Pacific Islander identity and pride. Pacific Islanders have been an integral part of San Francisco for over 100 years, with Visitacion Valley and Sunnydale neighborhoods serving as the primary centers of settlement. Migration to the City increased after World War II due to economic conditions in American Samoa, Tonga, Samoa, and other Pacific Islands, as well as the United States’ colonial policies and military recruitment. Many early migrants arrived as military personnel or were connected to service members stationed in the Bay Area, including working at the now- decommissioned Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. From 1951 to 1980, large groups of families relocated to San Francisco seeking employment, education, and better living conditions due to economic instability, the relocation of U.S. Naval facilities, the end of the G.I. Bill, and challenges in their home islands such as drought, population growth, and limited resources. Religious institutions played a central role in migration and community cohesion. The Mormon Church recruited Pacific Islanders for labor to build the Temple in Hawai‘i, after which many workers stayed on the island, returned home, or moved to San Francisco. Pacific Islanders also established congregations across denominations, including Mormon, Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-day Adventist, Methodist, and Assembly of God congregations, creating churches from living rooms or garages to serve small congregations in Visitacion Valley and Sunnydale. To address language barriers, discrimination, and limited governmental support, Pacific Islanders developed aiga (family) networks to provide housing, jobs, education, counseling, and cultural activities. In 1972, Samoa-Mo-Samoa, the first Pacific Islander nonprofit organization in San Francisco, was established in Visitacion Valley by Leali’ie’eiao Nofoaluma Fulu Asi Tuiasosopo and other community leaders. The organization provided youth education, adult schooling, and workforce training. Today, this work continues under the Samoan Community Development Center, which remains a central hub for education, cultural preservation, and community support. In 2020, the S.A.L.L.T. Association was established to coordinate services across multiple Pacific Islander groups during the COVID- 19 pandemic. S.A.L.L.T. focuses on addressing systemic disparities and service gaps in areas including housing, workforce support, health, and social services, primarily serving the Visitacion Valley, Sunnydale, and Bayview neighborhoods. Pacific Islander-owned businesses have historically been concentrated in Visitacion Valley and surrounding neighborhoods, serving as centers for commerce, social gathering, and cultural preservation. Notable examples include: South Pacific Restaurant (Geneva Avenue), Samoa/Tonga Seamstress Shop (Geneva Avenue, bordering Daly City), Leland Avenue commercial corridor (from 1975) – t-shirt shop, video shop, Hugo Store, furniture store, two Samoan restaurants, and a Tongan restaurant (Leland Avenue). Other important community gathering sites include the Bravo Cocktail Lounge/Bayside Café (Bayshore Boulevard and Hester Avenue)

and the Motor Inn Lodge (Geneva Avenue), which hosted visiting leaders and community meetings. Residents of Sunnydale public housing are over 70% low-income Pacific Islander families, and it is a cultural legacy site. According to the 2015 U.S. Census Bureau, California is home to over 350,000 Pacific Islanders, with nearly one in five Native Hawaiians living in the Bay Area. In San Francisco, nearly 7,000 Pacific Islanders reside predominantly in Visitacion Valley and southern neighborhoods. Native Hawaiians constitute 22.8% of the local Pacific Islander population, followed by Samoans at 19.4% and Tongans at 18%. Many are of multiracial descent. Between 2000 and 2017, the Pacific Islander population in California grew by 27%, highlighting the continued relevance of these communities to the City. The boundaries of the Pacific Islander Cultural District were selected to reflect the areas of highest concentration of Pacific Islander residents, historical sites, businesses, churches, and cultural institutions. These neighborhoods have served as the social, economic, and cultural heart of the Pacific Islander community for generations, preserving traditions, networks, and community resilience. (Added by Ord. 78-26, File No. 260179, App. 5/8/2026, Eff. 6/8/2026)

RESPONSIBILITIES; CULTURAL, HISTORY, HOUSING, AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY REPORT. (a) Cultural, History, Housing, and Economic Sustainability Strategy Report. (1) Preparation of Report. By no later than September 1, 2027, the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (“MOHCD”) shall prepare and submit to the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor a Cultural, History, Housing, and Economic Sustainability Strategy Report (“CHHESS Report”) for the District. The CHHESS Report shall include a demographic and economic profile of the District, including past, current, and future trends; analyze and record the tangible and intangible elements of the District’s cultural heritage; identify areas of concern that could inhibit the preservation of the District’s unique culture; and propose as appropriate legislative, economic, and other solutions and strategies to support the District. (2) Assistance from City Departments. In preparing the CHHESS Report, MOHCD may request assistance from the Historic Preservation Commission and any other City department, office, or other agency of City government. Those agencies shall upon request provide to MOHCD an assessment of relevant assets and needs in the District, recommendations on programs, policies, and funding sources that could benefit the District, and other recommendations that could serve the District to advance its goals. (3) Community Outreach and Engagement. In preparing the CHHESS Report, MOHCD shall facilitate a community outreach and engagement process with the District’s residents, businesses, workers, and other individuals who regularly spend time in the District, in order to develop the strategies and plans that will preserve and enhance the culture of the District. (b) Board of Supervisors Consideration. Following receipt of the CHHESS Report from MOHCD, the Board of Supervisors may take any action by resolution that the Board deems appropriate regarding the report, including approving the report, modifying the report, rejecting the report, or requesting additional information or analysis from MOHCD or any other City department or agency. (c) Progress Reports. MOHCD shall provide a progress report on the strategies outlined in the CHHESS Report at least once every three years following enactment of a resolution approving or modifying the CHHESS Report. (d) Assistance from Community-Based Organization. Subject to the budgetary, fiscal, and civil service provisions of the Charter, MOHCD shall issue a competitive solicitation for a community-based organization to (1) assist MOHCD with planning, organizing, and facilitating the community outreach and engagement process under subsection (a)(3); (2) provide input and advice to MOHCD regarding the contents of the CHHESS Report and regarding strategies to support and preserve the unique culture and heritage of the District; (3) provide additional advice and assistance to MOHCD after the issuance of the CHHESS Report to implement the City’s strategies to support and preserve the culture of the District; (4) assist MOHCD with progress reports required under subsection (c); and (5) fulfill any other responsibilities that MOHCD determines would help the City to support the District. (Added by Ord. 78-26, File No. 260179, App. 5/8/2026, Eff. 6/8/2026)