(clapping.) nowruz nowruz ladies and gentlemen distinguished guests welcome. welcome to san francisco city hall nowruz 140 three as we gather here today at the magnificent city hall i'm filed with joy to celebrate the the arrival of spring and the beautiful tradition of nowruz since ancient persian festival is a new gip and hope and the spirit of reneutral that is and embrace opportunity that lies address nowruz transcends the

culture and has the virtue of peace, unit and harmony. >> and in a city as different as ours here in san francisco especially important to honor celebrate our rich tapestry of culture and fade serves as a reminder of the strength that come down prosecute our diversity and the resilience of our community. i'm honored to stand alongside san francisco's leadership as the rerequire firm preserving our culture heritage and more than ever in a world faced with challenges and uncertainty, it is crucial to foster a sense of blinking a solidarity within our community

the city of san francisco is an advocate for diversity recognizing importance of and bracing all cultures. that beneficiary our city throughout the years san francisco leadership has been instrumental in insuring event nowruz are given the spotlight right here in san francisco. so let's come together not only to rebel the festivities of nowruz buty firm our building and more a a more inclusion and vibrant community let's continue to honor our tradition celebrate our diversity, and i thrive for future filled with peace eased prosperity for all. this beautiful event could not be

possible without the help of so many people behind the scenes and you may meet some of them today or this evening. they include san francisco city hall event tame thank you, sam that and team we really appreciate you year and year out (clapping.) our sponsors who sponsor our today and the evening you can take a look at the foundation work tirelessly to give support. thank you. >> and how can we get the artists who but if i san francisco's interior (clapping.) and our volunteers.

(clapping.) and our veterans i hope you're enjoying everything our beautiful scene and set up it takes to create nowruz at san francisco city hall. >> but for the most part it takes a strength of leadership to come together and one for the community i want to introduce i to the committee everybody a little asked who is behind creating the neighborhood at san francisco city hall i have an honor of co-chairing this events for the past 8 years and the incredible team has supported throughout the years i'm going to have not only introduce themselves they'll tell you and cat you a little bit for those

of you who don't know of nowruz tradition activities is so we will start with [off mic.] >> we'll start with my colleague. >> hi russ. >> my name is miriam working with a couple of years (unintelligible) and um, i want to talk about a little bit about like us first festivities before nowruz and it means celebration. i think (laughter) that, yeah and um, we it is like the last wednesday of the year persian new year and everyone like colleagues and other fires

and (unintelligible) so like take all my illness and give me your beauty and health for the new year and people drum over the fire and i think i'm going to pass this to hannah to (laughter). >> hi, everyone i'm not crying and please. (clapping.) um, i am hannah and i love the spring what that comes to the allergies i'm not crying that is allergies the tradition the centerpiece of nowruz those tables showcases 7 ironys with

the letter s in persian and each synonym listing prosperity for the coming year the persian new year as nowruz owe iranians didn't begin until iran rife of the spring and now the hidden meaning behind that the first is which is you know what where it is but the wheat barley symptoms we birth and growth and finally, putting this symptoms sweetness and ferry at any rate and it is dried fruit when symptoms love and intimate budget & governmental efficiency committee medication and health and apples beautiful and health

so others sunrise and new beginning and symbolizing age and patience in addition some include some additional icons coins prosperity and sweets you see over there intimate listing happiness and enjoy and the reflection and candles light and happiness. i want to also share a family tradition that we take seriously from north of aaron have this tradition released randolph openly of nowruz and one person in each household will - we have a bowl of water

like gold for us persian and like that thirty that seconds one minute before the start thought it spring the persian new year that person's goes out of the house and we open the door and people come in as we believe brings prosperity to the new year yes, ma'am i'd like to pass it to my colleague to what is is going on during the master thank you. (clapping.) >> thank you hannah like 6 years ago i was a celebrating nowruz with my family all happy nowruz everyone. >> thank you for coming i prefer your time ink to talk about which is the most importance for me and so celebrated the certain day of

nowruz the erica chang new year as you can see is i was told a bad luck number so we go out with our family do a picnic and take sadness to the nature and we try to - 13 we try to get 13 in the nature and take back the sadness of nature and start um, our new year from nature. and again, thank you and i want to thank the city and also the team and all the volunteers working with me. to make this happen. and i'm going to pass it to sophie and thanks again.

>> (clapping) thank you, everyone. >> all right. this is the time that everyone has been waiting for. i'm honored to introduce our mayor. our next speaker was our mayor born and raised in san francisco mayor london breed has been a champion of our city diverse community throughout her life her work to address the crucial issues facing san francisco in safety and economic recovery, housing, and homelessness not only strengthening our city but creating better opportunities and more resilience future. please join me in welcoming san francisco london breed. >> (clapping) (yelling) and. >> nowruz (yelling).

>> thank you peppy and personally women to belong our personally community together no city hall to celebrate new beginning and prosecutes period of time and hope for better future. i was always told i can buy a new wardrobe is that true sophie. >> i looked forward to shopping sometime soon i love how nowruz is a new beginning perjury. >> cleans with what that means for the new year how we think about the challenges of san francisco. and look forward to the future. you know, this city has been through so much i don't know but when i look forward the half seen that is remind me of

the off our open parks and in san francisco 0 how that helps to inspire all of us to come together and to really appreciate the beauty of our city. and more importantly the diversity of our city that's why the celebration in city hall is so important. and in fact, san francisco has a way to honor this tradition on the um, past let me make sure i get my dates right on tuesday march 19th officially nowruz we lit up city hall in the colors of erica chang flag and together do so as well (clapping.) we know over three hundred million people celebrate nowruz around the world and how meaningful to have our personally community to up lift

the except and celebrate and really appreciate the relationships we have especially in light of our inability to come together in in-person during the global pandemic this year is so much mower that meaningful than before because it also represents hope we're seeing none, seeing hope for a new beginning and for san francisco and this year i seen hope represent in the eyes and the faces of so most people here today so on behalf of the city and county of san francisco i'd like to officially proclaim that as nowruz day in the city and county of san francisco (clapping.) and i want to really say to you and to the committee every single year without hesitation you go anti you have your way to raise the money to send out the

invitation to clorpt the scene and make it approximately for everyone to work with artists and make sure this event is a representation of the spirit of nowruz for so many people to enjoy we're appreciative of our hard work and your commitment to making sure this special and my pleasure to declare nowruz in san francisco with the hope we'll continue to host many, many more nowruz in the future i'm glaef for you here thank you for your amazing leadership (clapping). >> and also want to give a special acknowledgement to a

phenomenal woman a phenomenal woman of the partisanship community you know that san francisco was the host to world leader from 21 economies came to san francisco during the month of november including our president joe biden and san francisco pass on the world stage many people is tried to tell a different story of our city during a pack people got to see when san francisco is with their own eyes an amazing diversity it took a lot of work and patience and coordination and it also took a lot of fundraiser. and the next person i want to his own is woman first person of persian for portfolio for the city and county of san

francisco. (clapping.) and let me tell you something women get it done. (clapping.) with no hand no direction miriam combo in world and taken the city by storm making sure that san francisco is welcoming place for many of our council general for our ambassadors and queens and kings visited san francisco. she is an amazing represent but truly shows the world with what she's babble of helped us deliver an excellent a pack for the world to see i want to take the opportunity to recognize and honor a phenomenal woman who celebrated nowruz every single year ladies and gentlemen please

welcome miriam the chief of protocol for san francisco (clapping). >> good afternoon, everyone thank you so much mayor london breed and thank you, stephanie more bringing us together truly any honor to serve as a san francisco one or two woman to serving the city and county of san francisco and talking about women getting it done an honor to serve under the leadership of mayor london breed every single day she's a daily dose of supervision and seeing her today in and out working hard to sever our city thank you, thank you very much and stephanie for all

our work and women for celebrating nowruz and bringing us to the for the city and again, honored to serve. (clapping.) and. >> all right. >> the next person we'd like to honor today an incredible human being her love for art, culture and philanthropy has taken her to start the iranian by storm and working at san

francisco university is a program sort to make sure that our program that recognized please help me welcome nc (clapping). >> thank you so much. >> nice to see you. >> (microphone distorted.) >> with an honest - >> oh. okay. (laughter). >> thank you so much. >> for this amazing honor. happy new year, everybody nowruz. i'm really honored to be

mentioned today, we carry a big labor of love on anywhere backs as we support immigrants and the artists who don't have the required infrastructure to sign and take to stages we take taken more than 2000 immigrants and artists to stay since our inception an honor to be a nonprofit that aims to serve the larger san francisco community i think that art is the only way to heal ourselves and with the language and all this conflict going on in the world so if you see a show a concert an

exhibition of a dance please buy and ticket please go and support us. thank you very much. (clapping). >> the third woman welds to honor today, this morning, i'm short (laughter). >> it was unfortunately, not able to be here, however, we like to recognize her name. it is such an honor and supervision to have someone who holds an incredible position like the honorable judge. (clapping.) having someone who is able to achieve the journey especially

with that gives everyone in our community the hope and inspiration to be that that person someday we all do need inspiration and can only come in the form of a role model with that said, i will be accepting this honor from mayor london breed. thank you very much, everyone. (clapping.) and. >> now it is my pleasure to introduce our supervisor savvy district 11 the highest ranked persian i was born in iran and emigrated to the united states when 5 years old a dedicated

public servant served on the board of supervisors for seven years and counting. he's spent nearly a decade as a labor organizer representing front line works like janitor and sanitation workers and grocery store employees prior to be elected to office and the fun fact about supervisor savvy also he is organizer 18 years ago supporting nowruz at san francisco city hall thank you, supervisor please welcome supervisor savvy. >> (clapping) i feel like someone is standing township me before the that mayor leaves thank you. the mayor for the culture event in

city hall (clapping.) one thing you know about mayor london breed is that she has done a tremendous job of highlighting, enthusiastically a uplifting all the cultures of san francisco when they became mayor, i think there was a kind of baseline of culture events; right? mayor london breed and taken it to the next level with the cinco de mayo and black history month all those 23e7b9s have gone to the next level and sanction that nowruz opening up thank you, mayor london breed you're tremendous support jennifer lowe and thank you to the persian women and all the interpretation volunteers who i'm going to recognize in a moment i want to say listen we have to get the energy up in this day nowruz is again the

rebirth and if you think about the history of our culture is really about the new year it is when things begin somehow same way we celebrate march 21st the nights are long but now we're in the time where everything is blooming about rejuvenation and about the new day and that culture celebration has been celebrated for 35 hundred years this is one of the older celebrations on earth and ground in the principles of down to the second the first day of spring never the someday this day was 8:06 p.m. on tuesday and as mayor said we asked city hall to be lit up in the colors of iranian flag about celebrating and uplifting our culture. so i just want to say this to me is

one of the happiest times of the year as all have about talked about enter inspection and forgiving but amplifying the encouragement we've been doing this for 18 years in city hall been doing this for 18 years (clapping.) started under governor gavin newsom and surveyed or carried through every mayor to mayor london breed and again, the beauty of our culture and the side that people don't know about i think many people over the last year and a half to think about aaron in the positive light and because of women's movement in iran and spreading our encouragement; right? let's give a big round of applause. >> (speaking foreign language.)

>> all right. one more persian before i honor the volunteers our confirmation from the arts commission doing tremendous work here for san francisco assisting artists and please take time to look at the beautiful artwork that is what makes this celebration special so i'm going to honor the um, the volunteers who have been doing the economy of volunteers first, the persian woman, of course, to the stephanie for her amazing work so many people have said nice things about her. >> a persian women a certificate on the on behalf of the board of supervisors for did amazing work they do and let's bring up the volunteers committee han i can't if you're here come forward and hannah

and: >> (calling names). >> please come forward and xavier come to the front for those of you who don't know it is ice cream i know the persians know that anyway i'll say. >> (speaking foreign language.) city hall nowruz, let's bring the new year with a lot of energy and good hope and good fortune and those wonderful ladies have done tremendous work on behalf of the 71 and board of supervisors han i can't have thank you for your tremendous work (clapping.) all right. thank you and miriam

the coolest outfit by the way. >> thank you. >> thank you. and then um. >> (calling names.) >> has been consistent one of the longest volunteers making this happen. >> (multiple voices). >> what are you talking about, of course, i remember. thank you. >> and last but not least rené mohammed where is mohammed we got it. >> (laughter.) >> thank you. (laughter). >> all right. everyone let's enjoy the rest of the day such and thank you for coming to city

hall. >> (multiple voices.) >> >> (multiple voices.) >> oh. okay.

>> oh, no (background noise.) >> >> (multiple voices.)

>> i want to see your outfit. >> [music]

>> san francisco is known as yerba buena, good herb after a mint that used to grow here. at this time there were 3 settlements one was mission delores. one the presidio and one was yerba buena which was urban center. there were 800 people in 1848 it was small. a lot of historic buildings were here including pony express headquarters. wells fargo. hudson bay trading company and famous early settlers one of whom william leaderdorph who lived blocks from here a successful business person. african-american decent and the first million airin california. >> wilwoman was the founders of san francisco.

here during the gold rush came in the early 1840s. he spent time stake himself as a merchant seaman and a business person. his father and brother in new orleans. we know him for san francisco's history. establishing himself here arnold 18 twoochl he did one of many things the first to do in yerba buena. was not california yet and was not fully san francisco yet. >> because he was an american citizen but spoke spanish he was able to during the time when america was taking over california from mexico, there was annexations that happened and conflict emerging and war, of course. he was part of the peek deliberations and am bas doorship to create the state of california a vice council to mexico.

mexico granted him citizenship. he loaned the government of san francisco money. to funds some of the war efforts to establish the city itself and the state, of course. he established the first hotel here the person people turned to often to receive dignitaries or hold large gatherings established the first public school here and helped start the public school system. he piloted the first steam ship on the bay. a big event for san francisco and depict instead state seal the ship was the sitk a. there is a small 4 block long length of street, owned much of that runs essentially where the transamerica building is to it ends at california. i walk today before am a cute

side street. at this point t is the center what was all his property. he was the person entrusted to be the city's first treasurer. that is i big deal of itself to have that legacy part of an african-american the city's first banker. he was not only a forefather of the establishment of san francisco and california as a state but a leader in industry. he had a direct hahn in so many things that we look at in san francisco. part of our dna. you know you don't hear his anymore in the context of those. representation matters. you need to uplift this so people know him but people like him like me. like you. like anyone who looks like him to be, i can do this, too. to have the city's first banker and a street in the middle of financial district. that alone is powerful.

>> i went through a lot of struggles in my life, and i am blessed to be part of this. i am familiar with what people

are going through to relate and empathy and compassion to their struggle so they can see i came out of the struggle, it gives them hope to come up and do something positive. ♪ ♪ i am a community ambassador. we work a lot with homeless,

visitors, a lot of people in the area. >> what i like doing is posting up at hotspots to let people see visibility. they ask you questions, ask you directions, they might have a question about what services are available. checking in, you guys. >> wellness check. we walk by to see any individual, you know may be sitting on the sidewalk, we make sure they are okay, alive. you never know. somebody might walk by and they are laying there for hours. you never know if they are alive. we let them know we are in the area and we are here to promote safety, and if they have somebody that is, you know, hanging around that they don't want to call the police on, they don't have to call the police.

they can call us. we can direct them to the services they might need. >> we do the three one one to keep the city neighborhoods clean. there are people dumping, waste on the ground and needles on the ground. it is unsafe for children and adults to commute through the streets. when we see them we take a picture dispatch to 311. they give us a tracking number and they come later on to pick it up. we take pride. when we come back later in the day and we see the loose trash or debris is picked up it makes you feel good about what you are doing. >> it makes you feel did about escorting kids and having them feel safe walking to the play area and back. the stuff we do as ambassadors makes us feel proud to help keep

the city clean, helping the residents. >> you can see the community ambassadors. i used to be on the streets. i didn't think i could become a community ambassador. it was too far out there for me to grab, you know. doing this job makes me feel good. because i came from where a lot of them are, homeless and on the street, i feel like i can give them hope because i was once there. i am not afraid to tell them i used to be here. i used to be like this, you know. i have compassion for people that are on the streets like the homeless and people that are caught up with their addiction because now, i feel like i can give them hope. it reminds you every day of where i used to be and where i am at now.