The area has often been denigrated as the “war zone” by the media and public at large due to a high crime rate in the past. But the area has made a turn-around in the past decade and residents want what they consider an outdated label dropped.

Mayor Martin Chavez held a press conference today to sign the legislation sponsored by City Councilor Rey Garduño bestowing the new moniker on the Southeast Heights neighborhoods near the intersection of Central and Louisiana Avenues. The area is one of Albuquerque’s most diverse, with residents from six continents speaking 27 different languages.

In addition to the legislation passed by the city council, state Sen. Tim Keller, an Albuquerque Democrat, also successfully had a state memorial passed recognizing the area as the International District. Garduño read a statement from him at the press conference in which he celebrated the diversity of the area and noted the damage done to the community by “the current label.” Keller elaborated:

Our desire for a new identity truly has come from the ground up. My constituents find the current label incorrect, offensive and unfairly damaging to businesses and property value. It’s time we shed new light on our diverse community.

Chavez lauded the efforts to revitalize the area, saying that when one part of the city isn’t successful, the city as a whole isn’t. For this reason, he said, the city had invested $20 million in “hard infrastructure” into the area and, he is very pleased to see how the community has worked with elected officials to transform the area.

Garduño also spoke, saying that the revitalization effort had been “a long time coming, but never count a dedicated community out.”

He also pointed out that other cities in the U.S. had received acclaim and spurred tourism when they revitalized blighted areas by focusing on international communities. Albuquerque deserves no less, he said.

“We should celebrate our uniqueness and learn all we can about each other,” Garduño added. “We have an opportunity and we are determined to seize it.”

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