Nearly two years after Arab American leaders, business owners and community members stepped up a decade-long campaign calling on Anaheim city officials to recognize Little Arabia – a street on Brookhurst Avenue that has been named that for years – official signs are ready to go up.
On Thursday, Anaheim took the first step in acknowledging the county’s first Arab American cultural district by unveiling freeway signs directing visitors to the area.
“Little Arabia is taking its rightful place in our city as we speak,” said Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken during Thursday’s showing of the freeway signs. “And in the months and years to come, we’ll continue to build on little Arabia with more signage, art and public spaces.”
Thursday’s unveiling was the culmination of decades of advocacy by local Arab American business owners, activists and advocacy groups to get the city to recognize all the contributions immigrant entrepreneurs have brought to Anaheim.
[Read: Anaheim’s Little Arabia is Finally Getting its Freeway Signs]
For many who pushed for that recognition, the long awaited signs make the Little Anaheim designation a reality and communicate to Arab immigrants in West Anaheim and across Orange County that they matter and are here to stay.
“It’s important because this sign represents the Arab American community’s contributions for many decades to this part of Anaheim,” said Rashad Al-Dabbagh, executive director of the Arab American Civic Council, in an interview Thursday.
He added that for him, the sign finally gives recognition to a community that has long deserved it.
“It represents the hard work, the many years of advocacy, the many years of engagement and the success, and the success story of this community,” Al-Dabbagh said.
Over 60 people gathered on the corner of Brookhurst Street and Brookmore Avenue for the reveal of Anaheim’s long-awaited freeway exit signage directing traffic towards Little Arabia.
Anaheim City spokesman Mike Lyster said the exit signs off the 5 and 91 freeways are expected to be up by next week, for the city is depending on CalTrans to implement the signage, so the exact day is still uncertain.
“It’s a great step in the right direction in terms of recognizing our diversity here in Anaheim,” said Ojaala Ahmad, who is running for Anaheim City Council this year, in an interview at the sign unveiling.
Ahmad is up against Ryan Bailus in the upcoming November election, one of seven candidates vying for three open seats on the city council.
[Read: Disney Comes in With Late Spending in Anaheim City Council Races]
She added that continued support from city officials would help other communities, not just a historic Arab population in Anaheim, foster a more accepting community in the neighborhood.
“I hope this will be a bridge to help us with gaining education and learning about other communities in Anaheim and Orange County,” Ahmad said.
The Story of Little Arabia
Back in the 80s and 90s, Arab immigrant business owners started to take a rundown strip of Brookhurst Street and convert it into a cultural hub that eventually included Arab barber shops, Halal butchers, bakeries, Falafel, Shawarma and Knafeh shops and Hookah lounges.
The area in West Anaheim became a home away from home for Arab immigrant families all over Southern California and organically formed into a business district bringing sales tax revenue to Anaheim – one that formed without government subsidies.
And without city recognition.
For decades after the formation of what colloquially became called the Little Gaza and then the Little Arabia district, business owners and community leaders started to advocate different rosters of Anaheim City Council members to officially recognize the area.
But to no avail.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and the government mandated shutdowns that followed, those efforts revamped with business owners arguing that freeway signs and an official designation would help bring in more customers to the area.
And then, sworn FBI affidavits surfaced in which federal agents alleged – what many activists already suspected – Disneyland Resort interests held undue influence over city hall and policy making in Anaheim.
[Read: FBI Reveals What Many Anaheim Residents Felt For Years, City Hall is Run By The Chamber of Commerce]
In the wake of the FBI Corruption Probe and continued advocacy from local Arab leaders, a majority of Anaheim City Council Members voted in 2022 to officially designate a portion of Brookhurst Street as Little Arabia.
In January, officials voted to work with CalTrans to get four freeway signs put up.
Editor’s Note: Ashleigh Aitken’s father, Wylie Aitken, chairs Voice of OC’s board of directors.
Hugo Rios is a Voice of OC reporting fellow. Contact him at hugo.toni.rios@gmail.com or on Twitter @hugoriosss.
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.
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