San Francisco Celebrates Three Years of Afghan American Heritage Month as Recognition Goes Statewide

Mayor Daniel Lurie proclaimed August as Afghan American Heritage Month for a third consecutive year at a City Hall ceremony that doubled as a milestone: the resolution first drafted in a San Francisco supervisor's office has now been adopted by the state of California. Keynote speaker Nasreena Bargzai, deputy chief counsel to Vice President Kamala Harris, used the occasion to celebrate Afghan American civic achievement while delivering a pointed condemnation of the Taliban's ongoing ban on girls' education.

• California now recognizes Afghan American Heritage Month statewide, three years after a San Francisco Board of Supervisors resolution launched the observance
• Mayor Lurie honors Nasreena Bargzai, one of the highest-ranking Afghan American attorneys in the federal government, with a certificate of honor
• Keynote address links Afghan American civic power to global fight for women's education, with Bargzai calling the Taliban's school ban a failure that "reflects the whole world"
• More than a dozen city officials attend, including City Attorney Chu, Sheriff Miyamoto, Fire Chief Crispin, Assessor Torres, and Supervisors Mandelman, Dorsey, and Sauter

The basics: In 2023, Mahanaz Ebadi Samimi, a legislative aide in the office of Supervisor Matt Dorsey (District 6), authored a resolution designating August as Afghan American Heritage Month in San Francisco. The Board of Supervisors passed it unanimously. Three years later, additional Bay Area cities and counties adopted their own versions, and in March 2026, California recognized the month statewide.