One of the prominent differences we observed was the availability of various ethnic food and grocery stores that are geared toward specific populations. In a study done by our group, two well known grocery stores located at Crescent Avenue and Euclid Street were used to gather information about the community that frequents the stores. The stores were located next door to each other in a shopping center and the study was done on a Wednesday at noon.
There were about 20 customers inside Smart and Final. There was some light background noise and most of the customers were Latino and Asian. There were three Latino cashiers and about five customers in line. The inside was clean, organized, and quiet. Senior Assistant Manager, Mike Montgomery, said that his customers are 65% Latino.
Next door at El Super, there was loud music in Spanish being played over the radio and it was very crowded. The smell of meat, bread, and the bakery filled the air and the first thing we saw was a wall of tortillas for sale next to the door. El Super employees were set up throughout the store giving away samples of food to those walking by. The signs above the isles telling customers what items were in that section were written in both Spanish and English. There were approximately 200 people in the store, most of whom were Latino. The butcher section had a line 25 people long waiting to buy their meat, the checkout line was seven shopping carts deep, and the line at the inside bank (US Bank) had several people waiting for a teller.
After leaving El Super, our group went across the street to another shopping plaza, housing a variety of Asian restaurants and stores. The restaurant cuisine included Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino, and Thai. The stores included Ranch 99, which is an Asian food grocery store, an acupuncturist, and East West Bank.
The local billboards, bus ads, and other signage suggest a large amount of Spanish speakers in the immediate area, since many were only in Spanish.
Our group also viewed numerous churches in our travels around the community, all of which were affiliated with a variety of religious groups. While walking the city streets, we came across Trinity Chinese Mennonite Church, St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Church, Anaheim First Presbyterian Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon), and a Lutheran church. The presence such a high density of diverse churches suggests that religion is important and it plays a significant role in the lives of the local citizens.
We had an opportunity to speak with a variety of individuals all of which represented a different segment of the local population. During our community walk, we spoke to Vincent, a previously homeless, disabled veteran. He was currently living in a transitional living facility for vets.
We met Joanne, a middle-age woman originally from England, and Mike, a white store manager who commutes 24 miles to work each day. Additionally, while at the local Wal-Mart, we interviewed a young Latino family of four, a young Asian mother and her two children, and an elderly white woman who has been a resident of Anaheim for over fifty years.
As one can see it is sufficed to say that Anaheim is home to many different populations with a variety of different backgrounds, issues, and concerns. Despite this melting pot effect, as several of our interviewees pointed out, the community has a strong Latino cultural influence. The Caucasian long-time Anaheim resident noted above, said that in her neighborhood, most of the new families moving in were Latino, a change from the original demographic of her neighborhood.
