Cerritos Gains First Indian-American Mayor as LA County Formally Recognizes Diwali for Fourth Year
Cerritos made regional history when Naresh Solanki was unanimously elected by his fellow City Council members as the city's first Indian-American mayor, a milestone that drew supporters from across Southern California to the April 2019 ceremony at City Hall. In the years that followed, the Indian-American community's civic footprint in the region continued to deepen: the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted for the fourth consecutive year to formally recognize Diwali, with Supervisor Janice Hahn leading the motion and personally attending the SoCal Diwali Festival held in Cerritos. Together, these two stories mark Cerritos as a center of Indian-American political achievement and cultural recognition in Southern California.
LA County Board Unanimously Recognizes Diwali for Fourth Consecutive Year, Hahn Attends Cerritos Festival
For the fourth consecutive year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a motion led by Supervisor Janice Hahn to officially recognize Diwali, according to a press release published on Supervisor Hahn's official county website at hahn.lacounty.gov, dated October 7, 2025. The unanimous approval by the five-member Board reflects sustained, cross-member support within Los Angeles County's top governing body for recognizing Diwali as a culturally significant occasion for the county's residents. The announcement from Supervisor Hahn's office further noted that Hahn would once again attend the SoCal Diwali Festival held in Cerritos that same weekend, personally participating in the community celebration for the fourth year running. The press release characterizes Diwali as the Festival of Lights, consistent with how the holiday has been described in the county's previous recognition motions. The fact that this marks the fourth straight year in which the entire Board has unanimously passed such a motion signals the institutionalization of Diwali recognition within Los Angeles County government. Supervisor Hahn's Fourth District includes communities with significant South Asian populations, and her annual sponsorship of the Diwali recognition motion, combined with her attendance at the Cerritos festival, reflects both the policy and personal engagement she has maintained with the Indian-American constituency across her district. The recognition is a formal county resolution rather than a legal holiday, but represents the county's official public acknowledgment of Diwali's cultural and communal importance to LA's diverse residents. [1]
🗳️ Naresh Solanki Becomes Cerritos's First Indian-American Mayor in Landmark 5-0 Vote
Naresh Solanki was unanimously chosen by the Cerritos City Council in a 5-0 vote to serve as the city's mayor, becoming the first Indian-American to hold that position, according to a report in India Journal dated April 24, 2019. The vote took place on April 17 at Cerritos City Hall, where Solanki had been serving as Mayor Pro Tem. The nomination was made by Councilman Jim Edwards and seconded by Councilman Frank Yokoyama. Under a long-standing Cerritos tradition, the Mayor Pro Tem is the automatic heir to the mayoral seat, a convention that had been broken two years earlier when Solanki was bypassed and Councilmember Grace Hue became mayor instead — a move the article describes as undemocratic and one that dismayed many residents and predecessors. The ceremony drew a record number of attendees, including Janice Hahn, then Chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors, and former Supervisor Don Knabe, who drove with his wife from Temecula specifically to attend. Former Mayor Bruce Barrows, described as Solanki's mentor, was also present. Planning Commissioner Deepak Jhaveri told the gathering: "This was not just long overdue but is very well deserved," and added, "This marks the victory for all of us." In his acceptance speech, Solanki outlined his priorities: improving public safety with the Cerritos Sheriffs, managing the city's budget prudently, protecting city resources, and attracting new business investment. He praised the city's award-winning public library and its Performing Arts Center as crowning jewels. The India Journal article notes that Cerritos was originally known as the Dairy Valley before becoming Cerritos in 1956. [3]
Sources: [1] County Supervisor Janice Hahn (.gov) · [3] India Journal