Orange County Line
Little Saigon at 25 Years: What's Next?
Gustavo Arellano on the 25th anniversary of the largest Vietnamese enclave in the world outside Vietnam.
Twenty-five years ago, Governor George Deukmejian unveiled signs on the 22 Freeway designating Little Saigon districts in Garden Grove and Westminster, officially acknowledging the largest Vietnamese community in the world outside of Vietnam. Critics at the time claimed such a move discouraged assimilation, but OC has largely embraced its Vietnamese in the years since, hailing them as a model minority and their political power while slurping up its pho. What's the future of Little Saigon -- and how will Orange County respond?