That the City Council:

A.  Consider a request by the Centennial Celebration Subcommittee for the City to support and host a proposed Mexican American Heritage event; and,

B.  Approve a budget appropriation of $8,016 from available Centennial Celebration funding for expenses related to the proposed event. 

At its regular meeting of September 18, 2023, the City Council approved the formation of the City's Centennial Celebration Ad Hoc Planning Committee.  La Habra stakeholders from various non-profit organizations, churches, school districts, the business community, community members, and appointments by the City Council made up the Centennial Celebration Committee's membership. Volunteer members were then assigned to smaller subcommittees that helped with the planning and execution of the different Centennial Celebration events, programs, and activities that were held in 2025.

The subcommittees included:

The Mexican American Heritage subcommittee worked closely with City staff to research, plan, and host an oral history event on September 24, 2025, at the La Habra Depot Theater. The event highlighted the history of Mexican Americans in La Habra, the La Habra "Camps", as well as the rich heritage of baseball & softball in the Camps. The very well-attended presentations were moderated by Dr. Richard A. Santillan, Professor Emeritus at California State University, Pomona and author of the Mexican American Baseball book series. The two interactive sessions included a number of local residents who had strong familial connections to La Habra and who shared their and their families' experiences living in the camps. The event was a success and generated significant pride in the community, bringing together former neighbors and families.

Although the City's official Centennial Celebration year is now complete, members of the subcommittee have proposed that the City Council consider hosting another similar event at the La Habra High School Performing Arts Center this spring. The proposed community event would be free to the public and would have the goal of further exploring the rich tradition of Mexican Americans in La Habra's history, encouraging participation by local residents, and increasing awareness and interest in the La Habra Historical Museum for future potential programs and exhibits. 

If approved by City Council, the proposed event would be managed by the Community Services Department and staff would be responsible for: 

If the subcommittee proposes additional future events, staff will present their proposals to City Council for review and budget approval, or staff could submit a funding appropriation in the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2027 municipal budget for potential future events. 

If the City Council approves the City's participation and collaboration with the subcommittee to host the proposed History of Mexican Americans event, it will be necessary to appropriate $8,016 from remaining available Centennial Celebration funding. City staff and participating subcommittee members will also work to identify potential sponsorship opportunities to help offset direct program costs.