Why Westminster
Westminster is an urban city situated in western Orange County, California, covering a total land area of 10 square miles. It is bordered by Seal Beach to the west, Garden Grove to the north and east, and both Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley to the south, with Santa Ana located nearby to the east. Travelers can conveniently reach the city by road via regional freeways, including Interstate 405 and State Route 22, as well as State Route 39 along Beach Boulevard. Public transit throughout the area is provided by the Orange County Transportation Authority.
The settlement was originally founded in 1870 by Reverend Lemuel Webber as a Presbyterian temperance colony, taking its name from the 1643 Westminster Assembly. Early local farmers refrained from harvesting grapes due to their association with alcohol, focusing instead on dairy farming and crops like walnuts, strawberries, celery, and lima beans before transitioning to sugar beets. Following a decline in sugar beets caused by tariff alterations and agricultural pests, goldfish farming temporarily supplemented the local economy. Suburban housing growth accelerated following delays caused by the Great Depression, a 1933 earthquake, and a major flood in 1938, leading to the city's eventual incorporation in 1957.
Westminster holds significant social and cultural history. In 1947, it was the focal point of the landmark federal court case Mendez v. Westminster, in which Sylvia Mendez and her family successfully fought against the segregation of Mexican American students, setting a legal precedent that ended public school segregation in California. Beginning in the 1970s, the city became a major center for Vietnamese refugees and immigrants. Today, it hosts a large portion of Little Saigon and is recognized for having the highest concentration of Vietnamese Americans in the United States.
Visitors to Westminster can explore the bustling Little Saigon district, primarily situated along Bolsa Avenue, which is also known as Đại Lộ Trần Hưng Đạo. Key stops along this thoroughfare include historic local establishments like Danh's Pharmacy and the landmark Asian Garden Mall, also known as Phước Lộc Thọ. Notable public sites in the city include a statue of Trần Hưng Đạo, the Mendez Tribute Monument Park honoring the 1947 desegregation ruling, the Westminster Museum, and a memorial dedicated to the victims of the 1977 Tenerife plane crash. Additionally, the Vietnam War Memorial can be found in Sid Goldstein Freedom Park adjacent to the Westminster Civic Center.
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