Anaheim recognizes Little Arabia as official neighborhood after decades of advocacy

Arab Americans in Anaheim and at Chapman University spoke with The Panther about their reactions to Little Arabia becoming an official district. Photo by RENEE ELEFANTE, News & Politics Editor

Buildings and small parking lots line the streets of Little Arabia, a vibrant neighborhood that ranges a single mile on Brookhurst Street, housing a number of ethnic markets, restaurants and cafes owned by Arab Americans.

Little Arabia was designated as an official neighborhood by the Anaheim City Council last month after Arab-American residents, business owners and activists asked city council members to recognize the neighborhood for two decades.  

The hub of Orange County’s Arab-American population, Little Arabia consists of a variety of restaurants, markets and hookah lounges. Services such as law offices, hair salons and religious centers are also offered around the neighborhood. 

Formerly an underdeveloped area of West Anaheim known as the Gaza Strip, Little Arabia first arose in the 1980s and expanded in the 1990s after an increase of Arab immigrants arriving in Anaheim. These immigrants bought homes from local Arab Americans, as well as plazas and office buildings to start businesses in the area.

Arab Americans began advocating for an official Little Arabia neighborhood on social media in the early 2000s. The neighborhood later received national attention on news media outlets like the Los Angeles Times and NPR.

Some Arab students at Chapman University are pleased that Little Arabia is an official neighborhood in Anaheim, but they also believe that this designation should have come a lot sooner.

“My other Arab friends and I on campus shared the news with each other immediately after it became official,” said senior psychology major Gina Aboul-Hosn, the president of the Chapman Arabic Language Club. “(There were) a lot of mixed feelings since we were happy that it was finally official, but also felt like it had been long overdue.”

The Chapman Arabic Language Club teaches their members about Arabic language and culture. One activity that the club partakes in is visiting Little Arabia.

“We do food gatherings where we get together and go to Little Arabia,” Aboul-Hosn said. “We’ll get mana’eesh (Lebanese flatbreads) or we’ll get certain foods that are culturally from the Arabian world.”

Maher Nakhal, owner of Le Mirage Pastry, a local bakery in Little Arabia that sells many Arab treats, told The Panther in an interview he feels great about the news of the neighborhood finally being recognized.

“We’re happy because this is going to grow (the) United States,” Nakhal said. “We are one hand. United States, Arabic, any community. (We are) tied together.”

Le Mirage Pastry sells many treats from Arab cultures, including awameh (a sweet, deep-fried ball of dough), and bouza (a type of ice cream found in many Arab countries).

The Anaheim City Council voted 5-0-1 Aug. 23 to officially designate the neighborhood. Council member Trevor O’Neil abstained from the vote.

“This creates another marker for us in Anaheim,” council member Jose Moreno said during the council meeting. “It’s another marker that can bring Anaheim up and uplift Anaheim, beyond the resort and a baseball team and a hockey team.”