A community in Las Vegas nicknamed ‘Little Ethiopia’ could get the official designation if Nevada Assemblyman has his way, Fox5 reports.
Southern Nevada is a home for thousands of Ethiopians, and there are dozens of Ethiopian owned businesses in the area of Flamingo and Decatur. They run business, including traditional coffee shops, and restaurants with Ethiopian dishes.
Assemblyman Alexander Assefa presents a proposal before Clark county commissioner last week for the area near Flamingo and Decatur formally designated as ‘Little Ethiopia.’ “We are about to have ‘Little Ethiopia ‘… To highlight a community that is an important part of the diverse fabrics, that makes us strong,” Said, Assefa. He added that the vast majority of the Ethiopian population and businesses located along Decatur, so it’s the time.
Alexander Assefa was born in Ethiopia then migrated to the US in the year 2000 and settled in Alexandria, VA. He learned English as his 3rd language and attended high school in Alexandria. Then he moved to Columbus, OH, where he graduated from high school. Assefa becomes a pilot after attending a flight school at Averett University. He also has a political science degree.
Alex moved to Las Vegas NV, in 2006 and owned a small business which created jobs for many families in the area. He became a US citizen in 2007. In 2019, Assefa, elected as Nevada state legislature, became the first Ethiopian-American to be in public office in the US.
LA announced in 2002 Fairfax avenue officially as ‘Little Ethiopia,’ where a mass of restaurants, markets, and services owned by Ethiopians. The designation caused lots of visitors to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
Similarly, Nevada has Chinatown and Koreatown which were designated officially years before. Although Nevada Clark County did not comment on the proposal, assemblyman Assefa hopes Little Ethiopia become official by September, on Ethiopian new year.
