After a heated response from local residents, San Gabriel City Council approved a new updated Mission logo but trashed a proposed tag line  or slogan.

San Gabriel resident inspects proposed logo and tag line.

Several speakers charged that the staff and council was trying to eliminate the city’s past with a proposed slogan of “History in Making.”
The tagline would replace the well known line of “City with a Mission” slogan which refers to its history and the San Gabriel Mission.

The changeover to a more modern Mission logo with a new slogan was proposed as part of a marketing program to redesign street signs and city stationary.

The city meeting was well-publicized with letters going to many  persons who had attended a previous series of community meetings.
At one point, the discussion deteriorated into an emotional outporring regarding the changing demographics of San Gabriel. The city, once primarily white, Hispanic and Native Americans, today is nearly 50% Asian.

Opponents said the new slogan of “History in the Making" was referring to the change in the city’s ethnic population.

Several speakers, most representing either native Americans or long-time residents, strongly objected to the replacement of the motto, “City with a Mission.”

Vice Mayor David Gutierrez, a long time resident, agreed with the opposition to the proposed motto.

In the end, the council approved the new Mission logo but kept the original motto.