Little Arabia, Anaheim

Little Arabia is an ethnic enclave located in west Anaheim, serving as the cultural and commercial heart of Orange County’s Arab American community. With roots tracing back to the 1990s, the area experienced a significant wave of immigration from Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Yemen, shaping a vibrant neighborhood now home to over 100 small businesses and thousands of residents.

Centered along Brookhurst Street-between Crescent Avenue and Katella Avenue, and close to the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5)-Little Arabia offers a rich mix of commerce, culture, and community life. Locals and visitors alike can explore halal butcher shops, Arabic grocery stores, bakeries, jewelry stores, Islamic clothing boutiques, hair salons, travel agencies, and a wide variety of Arab and Armenian restaurants. Hookah cafes, always buzzing in the evenings, bring people together in a laid-back, social setting.

Beyond business, Little Arabia is a spiritual and social hub, housing key religious institutions such as mosques and the West Coast Islamic Society, alongside nonprofit and social service organizations that support the AMEMSA (Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian) community.

Originally part of a mid-20th-century development boom tied to Disneyland’s rise, this area saw a decline in later decades before its revival through Arab immigration in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, Little Arabia stands as a testament to community resilience, cultural pride, and economic renewal-a dynamic slice of the Middle East in the heart of Southern California.