Day 58: Little Bangladesh, Los Angeles, California

📌APIA Every Day (58) - Little Bangladesh, located in Los Angeles, California, serves as a cultural and culinary hub for L.A.'s Bangladeshi community, officially designated by the L.A. City Council in 2010. The community spans a five-block area along 3rd Street between Alexandria and New Hampshire Avenues, surrounded by the nearby Koreatown. According to the South Asian Network, a cultural and advocacy group, the estimated Bangladeshi population in the area was more than 20,000 in 2010, based on a 2005 community mapping project.

In the 1960s, Bangladeshi immigrants moved to what is now Koreatown, drawn by nearby colleges and the area's largest mosque, the Islamic Center of Southern California. Over time, the population grew as more Bangladeshis arrived, establishing markets selling staple Bangladeshi goods. Currently, the area features restaurants offering Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi foods, along with shops, art galleries, and a residential neighborhood.

However, Little Bangladesh still faces challenges typical of many ethnic enclaves in Los Angeles, such as an inadequate supply of quality affordable housing, high rent, low wages, the threat of gentrification, and the fear of displacement. Despite these challenges, the multiethnic community in Los Angeles has fostered connections among people of different cultures, providing a space for those hailing from Bangladesh to congregate and share ties to their homeland.

LEARN MORE:

Little Bangladesh: Our Mission

Los Angeles News: LA designates Little Bangladesh neighborhood

Los Angeles Times: Little Bangladesh Must Grow into Its Name

Courthouse News Service: In LA’s Koreatown, Little Bangladesh Stakes Its Claim

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