Late in 2025 Las Vegas’s vibrant Filipino community marked a major milestone. On Oct. 9, 2025, Clark County officials officially designated a stretch of Maryland Parkway (Flamingo Road to Desert Inn Road) as “Filipino Town”, a Cultural District celebrating Filipino heritage . Hundreds of community members and leaders gathered at the Boulevard Mall to unveil the new “Filipino Town” street sign. Many attendees donned traditional barong tagalog and filipiniana attire, sang both the U.S. and Philippine national anthems, and enjoyed music and dance performances. “What a wonderful day this is for all Filipinos, not only here in Las Vegas, but worldwide!” beamed Rozita V. Lee – the 91-year-old community leader who spearheaded the effort.
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Boundaries and Location
Filipino Town now spans roughly 1.2 miles along Maryland Parkway in Las Vegas. The district stretches from Flamingo Road on the south up to Desert Inn Road on the north. This corridor has long been the heart of Filipino life in the valley – anchored by the Boulevard Mall (packed with Filipino stores and restaurants) and the adjacent Seafood City supermarket, plus favorites like Jollibee and Red Ribbon. In fact, about 15% of businesses at Boulevard Mall are Filipino-owned. County officials noted that this lively one-mile strip is “testament to the contributions” of Southern Nevada’s growing Filipino-American community. The new Filipino Town signage (paid for by Clark County) will help visitors and locals alike recognize this cultural hub.
History and Community Presence
The Filipino presence in Las Vegas dates back decades and has grown enormously. Today over 200,000 Filipinos live in the Las Vegas area – making Filipinos the valley’s largest Asian-American group. Many early Filipino immigrants arrived as casino workers and healthcare professionals. In the 1990s Nevada even began recruiting nurses and doctors from the Philippines, and by the 2000s southern Nevada had one of the nation’s fastest-growing Filipino populations. Filipinos in Vegas work as doctors, teachers, nurses, engineers and entertainers, as well as in the construction and service industries. “We are an integral part of the community,” said Rozita Lee in 2024, noting that “we are the doctors, the nurses, the teachers… we are the workers”.
Over time the Maryland Parkway corridor naturally became a gathering place: Filipino grocery stores (like Seafood City and Seafood City’s Las Vegas locations), savories shops, and restaurants popped up to serve both locals and tourists craving Filipino cuisine and goods. As one news piece put it, that strip is “where local Filipinos congregate to shop, eat and buy ingredients that shape their…dishes”. The new cultural district now formally recognizes the cultural legacy of these establishments.
Celebrations and Key Figures
The street‐sign unveiling on Oct. 9 was festive: after the flag presentation and national anthems, Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom (who championed the effort) and Rozita Lee ceremonially raised the Filipino Town sign. U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nevada) presented a commemorative certificate, praising local Filipinos as “the fastest growing Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the state” whose “presence is felt in our economy, in our culture, in our education, in our arts”. At one point, Filipino Senator Risa Hontiveros and Philippine Consul General Adelio Angelito Cruz addressed the crowd by video, underscoring the global connections. Dozens of community groups participated – from PHLV Radio to the Filipino American Chamber – and even schoolchildren performed traditional dances. “Filipino Town is here to show we contribute tremendously to this community. We have the doctors, nurses, teachers, [and] work in casinos,” Lee told the crowd.
Key leaders and groups drove this project: longtime community advocate Rozita Villanueva Lee (now 91) personally wrote the county application. Commissioner Tick Segerblom, chair of the Clark County Commission, guided it through the hearings (even celebrating Lee’s birthday onstage!). Local organizations like Filipino Town Las Vegas, Inc. (led by President Bernie Benito) and Fil-Am Central rallied support. Community media, like PHLV Radio (whose CEO Johann Sayson noted “nearly 100 shows are recorded a week” in Filipino Town) publicized the effort. When the Paradise Town Advisory Board unanimously approved the plan in Feb 2025, it cleared the way for the final County Commission vote on April 15, 2025, which passed unanimously.
Community Champions & Organizations:
• Rozita V. Lee – Esteemed Las Vegas Filipino-American elder who first proposed the district and has decades of civic leadership.
• Tick Segerblom – Clark County Commissioner (Chair) who guided and supported the Filipino Town proposal.
• Rep. Dina Titus, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Assemblywoman Erica Mosca, Superintendent Jhone Ebert, etc. – Elected officials of Filipino heritage who spoke at or supported the unveiling.
• Filipino-American Community of Las Vegas (Fil-Am Central) – Local cultural centers and youth groups organizing Filipino events (including the Oct. 9 celebration).
• National Fed. of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) – Praised the milestone as a celebration of heritage (notably citing ~250,000 Filipinos in Nevada).
• Filipino American Chamber & PHLV Radio – Business and media groups championing the community’s economic and cultural contributions.
Impact and Significance
The new Filipino Town district is more than a name – it’s a point of pride and a draw for Las Vegas. For residents it cements the Filipino community’s presence and contributions. As Lee herself noted, people felt “pride” seeing an area officially recognized for Filipinos. The district launch also coincided with opening day of the Filipino American Museum in the Boulevard Mall, previewing exhibits of art and history. Organizers are already planning classes, festivals and a future Filipino cultural center to keep momentum going.
For visitors and businesses, the designation highlights a new cultural destination in the city. Local press noted that officially naming “Filipino Town” could attract new restaurants, shops and tourists, strengthening the economy. Inquirer columnist Marisse Abelgas predicted Filipino Town might join famed enclaves like San Francisco’s SoMa Pilipinas and Historic Filipino Town in Los Angeles. Already the Boulevard Mall is a popular stop for Philippine New Year shoppers and holiday parties – now with official signage and events, even more people may seek it out.
In short, Filipino Town gives Las Vegas a year-round “Mabuhay” corner where Filipino-Americans (and all neighbors) can celebrate Pinoy culture. As one community leader put it, the unveiling marked “the beginning” of a revitalized neighborhood. Indeed, many vowed “we’re going to celebrate Filipino culture forever” in Vegas. This new cultural district not only honors decades of Filipino heritage in Nevada, but also opens fresh opportunities – in business, tourism, and community life – for all Las Vegas residents and visitors.
Sources: Official announcements and news reports from Las Vegas outlets and Filipino-American media
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