In the state of California near the Mexican border, a city named "El Cajon" in San Diego County hosts one of the largest Iraqi communities outside the country.
This small city, to which thousands of Iraqis have migrated since the 1980s, has become a center of stability for Iraqis wishing to move to America. The Iraqi imprint is very clear there, as Iraqi stores fill the city's streets, making the city a pilgrimage site for Iraqis from other states.
In this regard, one of the Iraqi residents of the city who works in a jewelry store said, "El Cajon" is considered a fully Iraqi city; you can live here even without learning English.
On the main street of the city, "Main Street," Iraqi shops stand out, and Arabic adorns the storefronts, as if you were in the heart of Baghdad, not in California
A few years ago, the Los Angeles Times newspaper dubbed the city "Little Baghdad" due to the high number of Iraqi immigrants to the city.
The Iraqi presence was very evident; even the famous Freedom Monument located in the heart of Baghdad was designed in a unique way on one of the city's streets, thanks to an Iraqi merchant who wanted to add an Iraqi touch to the city. They obtained the necessary permits and erected the monument. Additionally, one of the side streets bears the name "Baghdad" after an official request was submitted to the municipality by several members of the Iraqi community.
The owner of the Iraqi restaurant "Happy Time" in the city said: "Even the American residents have learned from our customs and have greatly embraced Iraqi food.
Mohannad Al-Halaq emphasized that El Cajon could be "the best place to live for Iraqis outside of Iraq, due to the gathering and the familiar Iraqi atmosphere.
Iraqis have spread to various places around the world, such as Britain and Europe, but their presence in the San Diego area may be the most visually prominent, especially since the city's weather closely resembles the hot Iraqi climate, and its desert areas mixed with greenery resemble Baghdad in some respects, which has earned it the title of "Little Baghdad."