I am proud Mayor Khan, the City Council, and I stood up for a multicultural Irvine at last night’s Council meeting. We established the first standing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of any Orange County city; and we condemned the latest form of prejudice to emerge publicly in Irvine.

Congratulations to Noha Nour, my appointee to the now-standing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

We’ve come a long way since 1988, when I was Mayor and our City Council adopted the county’s first Human Rights Ordinance. We have the same need now as we did then to “ensure every person shall have an equal opportunity to participate fully in the economic, cultural and intellectual life of the City of Irvine.” 

Our community suffers when our diversity is challenged by prejudice and discrimination. Now, when many residents still face threats to their quality of life, it is vital that we build on our relationships and rely on our diversity to stay united. Let’s remain in solidarity with OC Human Relations when they declare: 

“We believe that creating a place where we can live free from hate and discrimination will benefit everyone. We believe that breaking down barriers to success is not [about creating] a zero sum game, but a level playing field.”

I am proud to have signed this statement with hundreds because, if we live up to its principles, Irvine will continue advancing equality and human rights.