Ethnic Enclaves in Orange County, CA

Despite its depiction in the media, Orange County is home to a large immigrant population. As a result, there are several ethnic enclaves that are officially designated by the city.

“In sociology, an ethnic enclave is a geographic area with high ethnic concentration, characteristic cultural identity, and economic activity.” -Wikipedia

Official designation can take some time, as was the case with Little Arabia. In 2022, official status was finally bestowed upon the region by the city of Anaheim.

These types of designations are important for such communities because of the recognition that can attract more visitors.

We’ve listed both officially and unofficially recognized ethnic enclaves in Orange County, CA below.

Little Arabia (Anaheim, CA)

Little Arabia is a very small ethnic enclave—it’s essentially a series of strip malls spanning a couple of blocks on Brookhurst Street in the city of Anaheim.

Little Saigon (Westminster/Garden Grove)

Little Saigon is home to the largest population of Vietnamese immigrants in the US.

Koreatown (Garden Grove and Buena Park)

Garden Grove’s Koreatown is a popular place for Korean groceries, professional services, and Korean barbecue establishments.

In 2023, Buena Park officially became the second Koreatown in Orange County.

Unofficial ethnic enclaves of OC

Santa Ana/Placentia

Orange County has a large Mexican population in general, however, Santa Ana and Placentia are especially well-known for their Mexican immigrant communities.