From the original Facebook post by Tamana Ansari for Fanous Show/Imar Magazine
Salma Majidi, who has lived in Orange County since the early 1980s, recalls with satisfaction and appreciation the dramatic and positive changes in the area’s urban atmosphere, particularly in parks and public amenities. He says that in his first years of residence, a lack of proper parks left families with limited options for leisure and cultural programs, forcing the Afghan community to travel long distances to San Francisco and the East Bay to celebrate Nowruz and Mele Bahar.
Early Years: Limited Public Space and Long Journeys
Orange County today is showcasing a new standard of healthy, family-centered, and culturally viable urban living, according to her. Parks now not only provide green spaces and peaceful environments for relaxation, but also serve as ideal places for cultural, social, and family gatherings. Salma emphasizes that the growing number and improved quality of parks have enabled families to hold important cultural ceremonies within their own city, in safe and well-equipped spaces, without the need for long trips.
A New Standard for Urban Living
She fondly recalls her first experience participating in a Nowruz ceremony two years ago in one of Orange County’s beautiful parks. With its spacious grounds, diverse facilities, impeccable cleanliness, and strong management, the park provided ideal conditions for a large cultural celebration. According to him, the park proved to be a worthy host for Nowruz, demonstrating that urban public spaces can play an essential role in fostering social cohesion and preserving culture.
Experiencing Nowruz in a Local Park
“In this park, everything was ready for a complete celebration,” says Salma Majidi. Families were able to celebrate Nowruz in a green, open, and welcoming environment with children, wearing traditional clothing and local jewelry. The park facilities supported a wide range of organized and safe activities, including paper throwing, tug of war, football and volleyball, children’s play areas, war egg stalls, Afghan flag painting by children, food stalls, fresh fish cooking, and traditional Afghan music.
Accessible, Affordable, and Community-Centered
At the end, he expresses special appreciation for the availability of such parks, noting that Orange County’s well-equipped public spaces have transformed Nowruz into an easy, affordable, and accessible celebration for all families. The celebration no longer requires a seven-hour drive or high costs, allowing cultural programs to take place in the heart of where people live, in a healthy, joyful, and inspiring atmosphere.
This story was produced by American Community Media in collaboration with the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies (LENS) at UCLA as part of the Greening American Cities initiative supported by the Bezos Earth Fund. Read more stories like this by visiting the Greening Communities homepage.
