I've Visited Southern California for 20+ Years-This Underrated Neighborhood Is One of O.C.'s Most Exciting Destinations

"Little Saigon developed in the 1970s and '80s, as refugees from South Vietnam fled the aftermath of the Vietnam War and moved to Southern California. "Back then, there was no infrastructural backing, and then little by little, there were these real estate investments that became restaurants, that became other services," says Dana Seaman, a content creator, second-generation Vietnamese American, and lifelong visitor of Little Saigon. "It created this hub for new people to begin a life here very strongly and successfully.""

"Just a few miles away from Disneyland and Huntington Beach, there's a neighborhood where most advertisements are in Vietnamese, where the sounds of overlapping languages hover on every street corner, and where you can grab an icy cup of ca phe sua da (Vietnamese coffee) to cool down on a hot day. This is Orange County's Little Saigon, and it's home to one of the world's largest enclaves of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam itself."

Orange County's Little Saigon spans Westminster, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, and Santa Ana and hosts one of the largest Vietnamese enclaves outside Vietnam. The neighborhood features Vietnamese-language signage, overlapping languages, and abundant Vietnamese cuisine such as ca phe sua da. Little Saigon developed in the 1970s and 1980s as refugees from South Vietnam settled in Southern California, and gradual real estate investments produced restaurants and services that anchored the community. The Asian Garden Mall (Phước Lộc Thọ) serves as a central hub with shops selling jade, traditional sweets, and streetwear. The community remains tight-knit, culturally vibrant, and attractive to both locals and tourists.

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