In the state of California, near the Mexican border, a city called “El Cajon” in San Diego County, hosts one of the largest Iraqi communities outside the country.
This small city, thousands of Iraqis have immigrated to since the 1980s, has become a center of stability for Iraqis wishing to go to America. The Iraqi footprint is very clear there, as Iraqi shops fill the city streets, which has made the city a destination for Iraqis from other states.
In this regard, an Iraqi resident of the city who works in a jewelry store said: “El Cajon is considered a completely Iraqi city, you can live here even without learning English.”
On the city’s main street, Main Street, Iraqi shops stand out, and the Arabic language decorates the shop windows, as if you were in the heart of Baghdad, not California .
Several years ago, the Los Angeles Times dubbed the city “Little Baghdad,” due to the high number of Iraqi immigrants to the city .
The Iraqi presence was very clear, even the famous Freedom Monument located in the heart of Baghdad was designed in a cut-out way, in one of the city’s streets, thanks to an Iraqi merchant who wanted to add an Iraqi touch to the city, so they obtained the necessary permits and built the monument. Also, one of the side streets bears the name “Baghdad”, after an official request was submitted to the municipality by the name, by a number of residents of the Iraqi community .
“Even the American population has learned from our customs and has become very keen on Iraqi food ,” said the owner of the Iraqi restaurant “Happy Time” in the city.
Muhannad Al-Hallaq stressed that El Cajon might be “the best place to live for Iraqis, outside Iraq, because of the gathering and the friendly Iraqi atmosphere .”
Iraqis have spread out in many places around the world, such as Britain and Europe, but their presence in the San Diego area may be the most visible from a visual standpoint, especially since the city’s weather is very similar to the hot Iraqi weather, and its desert areas mixed with greenery resemble Baghdad in some glimpses, which has made it worthy of the title “Little Baghdad.”
