President Dwight D. Eisenhower began the Sister City concept in 1956 as a people-to-people common sense approach to world peace. Through communications with citizens of their sister cities in other countries, participants discover each others' similarities and differences. The chance of maintaining world peace comes through awareness and understanding created through involvement of people of goodwill in both countries.

The Sister City Association of Huntington Beach has been operating since 1977 and is provided services in kind by the City of Huntington Beach. Members serve on a volunteer basis. We provide cultural, information and youth exchange programs with our Sister Cities, Anjo, Japan and Waitakere, New Zealand. The Association provides planned continuous contact between citizens on a variety of levels. "Citizen diplomacy" motivates friendship and respect for diversity.