West Asian Neighborhoods
Little Armenia
- Little Armenia is the designation for the Middle Eastern enclave located in a part of East Hollywood and Glendale. Officially recognized on October 6, 2000, this enclave was established by the efforts of Johnny Sahagian and Garbis Keurjikian, names for the Armenians who escaped genocide in the early part of the 20th century. Notable landmarks include the Armenian Genocide Memorial Square and the “We Are Still Here” mural found on the corner of Winona and Hollywood Blvd.
Little Arabia
- Little Arabia is the Arabic enclave located in the city of Anaheim in Orange County. Little Arabia acts as a central hub for Arabic shops and restaurants. The Arabic diaspora residing in this area and Arabic business owners tend to be quite connected to their home countries. The diaspora has displayed great care and interest in their home countries in times of political and social issues and movements. In 2010, the local Arab community and groups started a campaign on social media advocating and pushing for the area to be designated officially as Little Arabia. Along with the naming and designation, the campaign also pushed the city to improve city signage and other goals. In 2014, the campaign was met with success. An event was hosted by the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce and the area officially designated as Little Arabia. It is an attraction not just for people of Arabic culture, but also others looking to explore Arabic restaurants and shops.
