California Geographical Society and Exploring the cultural geography of Little Saigon!
The Geography department attended the 2026 California Geographical Society and got the chance to connect with fellow geographers and various schools. Dr. Jocoy had the opportunity to present and share her findings on "The Geography of Happiness".
CSULB Geography students also toured Westminster's Little Saigon district, the largest Vietnamese enclave outside of Vietnam. We visited the Civic Center to see the Vietnamese American Memorial and Freedom & Heritage Flags Plaza, paying tribute to the Vietnamese diaspora experience and honoring those who fought for freedom. We also stopped by Westminster Memorial Park, where the Vietnam War Memorial commemorates Vietnamese and American soldiers side by side, and explored the Asian Garden Mall, a vibrant cultural and economic hub that serves as the heart of the community.
Little Saigon is more than a neighborhood; it's a living geography of migration, memory, and resilience. From memorialization to commerce, every site tells a story of identity, place-making, and community building.
This is what Geography is all about: understanding how place shapes culture and how communities shape place.
