The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the city’s 10th cultural district on Tuesday, a move that will recognize Pacific Islanders in Visitacion Valley and provide resources to support the dwindling community’s growth.

“People will be able to go somewhere they belong, somewhere people understand them, somewhere where they have all the same access to resources as every other community,” said Gaynor Siataga, the director of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander Community Hub and a leading advocate for the cultural district. “This will give them a sense of identity and belonging here in this wonderful city.”

Pacific Islanders’ roots in San Francisco date back to when it was still a settlement. But the community has steadily decreased in size — from more than 8,600 residents in 1990 to about 2,150 last year, or roughly 0.4% of the city’s population. Strong socioeconomic challenges, including high levels of poverty, unemployment and chronic health conditions, contributed to the community’s decline and intensified during the pandemic.

Around the same time that several Pacific Islander community-based organizations teamed up to respond to the population’s high rates of COVID-19 illness and death, planning for the cultural district started in earnest.

Tuesday’s 11-0 vote was seen as a culmination of those years-long efforts, but not an end point to them.

“We have folks who really want to come back to the city,” said Tino Felise, the neighborhood program coordinator at the Samoan Community Development Center and one of those behind the effort to create the cultural district. “Hopefully, establishing this cultural district will help us re-establish our population, and make sure this is a place Pacific Islanders can continue to call home.”

In coming months, the office of Supervisor Shamann Walton, who represents the area where the new district will be established, will work with Pacific Islander community leaders to cement the exact geographic boundaries of the district and solidify plans to protect and support the Pacific Islander community . This begins with the creation of a three-year strategic plan, according to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and the hiring of a cultural district staff.

Once finalized, the area will be awarded the annual funding provided to each district: $230,000 of hotel tax funds to plan for the services, resources and programs, all of which will be designed by a new cultural district advisory board and the city.

“I think the cultural district will really begin to allow everyone to see the specific needs of the Pacific Islander community, and focus on strengthening the solutions to supporting them,” Walton said.

Julia Sabory, who manages community planning and cultural districts at the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, said cultural districts can elevate a community’s voice at the policymaking table while promoting programs that are created with and for the populations they serve.

“It’s not so much about the numbers and the masses of residents,” Sabory said. “It’s about addressing the systemic exclusion of groups, and trying to include them into processes and opportunities to improve that community’s quality of life.”

“Getting the cultural district approved is just the beginning,” said Siataga. “The work — the deep-rooted work — starts after.”

Elissa Miolene is a freelance journalist based in San Francisco. Twitter: @elissamio

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NEW YORK (AP) – Erik Karlsson scored 39 seconds in extra time to give the San Jose Sharks a 2-1 win over the Islanders on Thursday evening and to give New York their ninth consecutive loss.

Nick Bonino also scored and Timo Meier had two assists for the Sharks, who won three in a row and five out of six. Adin Hill made 24 parades.

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Mathew Barzal scored early for the Islanders and Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 shots. New York, which lost eight straight games to regulation, is victorious in five games at UBS Arena, their new $ 1.1 billion home next to Belmont Park.

In extra time Karlsson ran up with a 2-on-1 before he passed Meier, who went from left to right over the front net but could not fire a shot. Meier then passed the puck back over the front from the right and Karlsson put it past Sorokin for the fifth time of the season.

Meier had his fourth multipoint game in the last five, earning him five goals and three assists during that time.

Sorokin came forward to block a 7:47 Alexander Barbanov shot in the third period, and Hill carried over a Barzal shot 10 seconds later at a breakaway to keep the score.

The Haie overtook the Islanders 14-7 and had plenty of chances in a goalless and fast-moving second period.

Sorokin had to make a series of saves in the first few minutes of the quarter. While the goalkeeper was on the ice, Rudolfs Balcers attempted to lift the puck over him, but it hit the Islanders defender Noah Dobson to keep the score.

Sorokin stopped a blow from Karlsson and failed mid-half to rookie Jonathan Dahlen. He also treated a high shot from Meier with 4:47 minutes to go.

Barzal brought the Islanders into play on the scoreboard with 1:04 in the first shot for both teams. He brought the puck up the right side, ran into the right circle, and beat Hill up on the blocker side for his fifth. It gave the Islanders their first lead in five games at their new arena.

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Bonino equalized at 9:10 when he stood in front of the net and diverted a pass from Dahlen from the right, with Sorokin in position for the third time.

Anders Lee almost gave New York the lead again, but his last-minute attempt to hit a goal struck a goal post.

BE HEALTHY

The Islanders have brought several players back from their COVID-19-related absences. Josh Bailey returned after missing five games, Lee and defenders Adam Pelech and Andy Greene each missing four. Kieffer Bellows took part in training but missed out, and defender Zdeno Chara ran alone.

HURT

Hai striker Jonah Gadjovich left the game 3-11 in the first period after shooting a shot from Dobson in the leg. Gadjovich was on the ground for several minutes before being helped on and off the ice.

NEXT

Haie: At the New York Rangers on Friday night.

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