'Little Arabia' springs up in Los Angeles

A few kilometres from Disneyland, a stretch of strip malls in Anaheim has transformed into an enclave catering to California’s Arab American community.

It lacks the immense sprawl of nearby Little Saigon or the decades-long history of Chinatown in Los Angeles, but the place now known as Little Arabia is a destination for Arab Americans from around the state and, lately, a go-to place for foodies in search of Middle Eastern dishes.

Yet Little Arabia is largely unknown to the millions of tourists who flood into Anaheim every year – and it remains below the radar even to longtime residents in the city’s west side.

A group of ambitious activists and business owners is trying to change that by getting city and tourism officials to recognise the commercial district as a destination.