New York City Council · Oct 8, 2026 · 19 minutes
The committee heard remarks and public testimony supporting Resolution 458A to designate Little Yemen in the Bronx as a state cultural district, then voted on that resolution and Resolution 646, concerning Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month. Both were approved; the initial tally was 5–0, and a continuation roll call raised the final tally to 6–0.
The meeting was opened, attendees were asked to silence electronics and avoid approaching the dais, and the chair was invited to begin.
Good morning. Welcome to the committee vote on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Relations. At this time, we ask that you please silence all electronics and please do not approach the dais. Chair, you may begin.
Chair Williams identified two resolutions for consideration: Resolution 458A, calling on the governor to empower the state arts council to designate Little Yemen as a cultural district, and Resolution 646, declaring October Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month. She introduced Councilmember Alderball to speak on her resolution.
Thank you so much, Sergeant. Good morning. I am Nantasha Williams, chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Relations. Today the committee will hear and vote on 2 resolutions. Proposed Resolution Number 458A, sponsored by Councilmember Shirley Alderball, which would call on the governor to sign to empower the New York State Council on the Arts to designate Little Yemen as a cultural district.
And Resolution Number 646, sponsored by Councilmember Amanda Farias, which would declare October as Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month in the City of New York. Now, Councilmember Alderball would like to deliver remarks on her resolution.
Councilmember Alderball voiced support for designating Little Yemen in Van Ness-Morris Park as a state cultural district. She said the designation would recognize the Yemeni community's heritage and contributions, oppose Islamophobia and racism, and create funding opportunities.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Chair Williams. I am so proud to be here today for the committee vote on Resolution 458A, supporting the designation of Little Yemen, the Little Yemen neighborhood in Van Ness-Morris Park, as an official New York State cultural district. By passing this resolution, we can affirm our support for the Yemeni community and our united stance against Islamophobia and racism.
Little Yemen is a vibrant community with a proud history that I have the honor of representing on City Council. Its cultural institutions, small businesses, and residents are an important part of the East Bronx's identity. The cultural district designation would recognize and celebrate the Yemeni community's rich cultural heritage and contributions to the East Bronx while providing new funding pathways for investment into the this important community.
A huge thank you to my colleagues, State Senator Fernandez and Assemblymember Zacarro, for championing this legislation in Albany. Thank you, Deputy Speaker Williams, for including the bill on today's agenda, and to the committee members for your support. I look forward to continuing to stand with the East Bronx Yemeni community and to the official recognition of Little Yemen as a cultural district.
The chair thanked staff, opened public testimony, reviewed decorum and submission rules, and explained how to sign up and the two-minute limit. She called witnesses and invited additional people to testify.
Thank you, Councilmember Aldabal. I would like to thank my staff and committee staff who worked on preparing for today, including Alejandro, the committee senior legislative counsel, and Regina Paul— excuse me, this is what I get for eating— committee senior policy analyst who drafted these resolutions. Um, yeah, if— I will now open the hearing for public testimony. Let me just ask.
It's— yeah, people are here. Okay. I remind members of the public that this is a formal government proceeding and that decorum shall be observed at all times. As such, members of the public shall remain silent at all times. The witness table is reserved for people who wish to testify. No video recording or photography is allowed from the witness table.
Further, members of the public may not present audio or video recordings as testimony but may submit transcripts of such recordings to the sergeant-at-arms for inclusion in the hearing record. If you wish to speak at today's hearing, please fill out an appearance card with the sergeant-at-arms and wait to be recognized. When recognized, you will have 2 minutes to speak on today's hearing topic, which is the legislation I have just outlined.
If you have a written statement or additional written testimony you wish to submit for the record, please provide a copy of that testimony to the sergeant-at-arms. I will now call the witnesses. We don't have sheets, so— yep, you can go to the witness table. Are there any other witnesses or people who wish to testify? I do, yes.
I'm just going to fill out a slip after. Okay. If you could just fill out a slip after you're done, that'd be great.
Zaid Najee, president of the Alliance of Yemeni Americans, supported the resolution. He said recognition could bring tourism, jobs, and business prosperity to the Bronx, promote understanding of Yemeni, Arab, and Muslim cultures, and help bridge divides between communities.
Yes. Hi, everybody. My name is Zaid Najee. I'm the president of the Alliance of Yemeni Americans. Yemen is 7,000 years old. But this is not just about Yemen or Yemeni American community. This is about the Bronx. Using Yemen tradition and the Yemeni American culture and the Yemeni culture as a general, the ultimate goal of this resolution is to bring tourism into the Bronx.
The Bronx is— we are a Bronxite as much as we are Yemeni Americans. And oftentimes the Bronx is neglected. This particular resolution will make it almost a must for anybody who entered the city of New York as a tourist or any other way to visit the Bronx, who is interested in understanding Yemen, the Arab, the Muslim culture generally.
This will mean more jobs. This will mean Prosperity is for business. There are finally— there are those that build walls between communities, and though these— there are those that destroy walls that exist between communities. Our ultimate goal, that everyone here and in the council as a whole will be from those crowd of officials who break walls to make this great city what it is.
Thank you. Thank you.
The chair thanked the witness, asked whether anyone else wished to testify, and, hearing no further testimony, announced that the committee was ready to vote.
Thank you so much for your testimony. Anyone else wish to testify? Okay, great. We are ready to vote, Billy.
The clerk called a roll-call vote on the coupled items. The committee approved both resolutions with five votes in favor, none opposed, and no abstentions; the chair said the vote would remain open briefly.
Thank you. Good morning. William Martin, committee clerk. Roll call vote, Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Relations. Both items are coupled. Chair Williams. Aye. Lewis. I vote aye, and congratulations, Councilmember Audubon. Hudson. Aye, congratulations, Councilmember Aldabal, and to the Yemeni community. Osei. I vote aye, and congratulations to the Yemeni community. Stevens. Ung. I vote aye. Thank you.
Maloney. With a vote of 5 in the affirmative, 0 in the negative, and no abstentions, both items have been approved by the committee.
The chair said the vote would be held open while another member was on the way, then thanked those present.
Yeah, we'll hold it open for a bit. She's on her way. Okay. All right. Thank you all.
The clerk continued the roll call on Resolutions 458A and 646 and recorded an additional aye. The final vote was six in favor, none opposed, and no abstentions.
Chair? Ready, sir. Continuation— continuation roll call, Committee on Cultural Affairs, on resolutions 458A and reso 646. Councilmember Maloney. I vote aye. Thank you. Final vote is now 6 in the affirmative, 0 in the negative, and no abstentions. Thank you.
The chair declared the matter closed.
We are finito. Case closed.
Transcript and chapters are generated from the Council’s video and may contain errors. Check the original recording for context.
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