A History of Glendale, California

Located 10 miles north of Downtown Los Angeles lies the city of Glendale, California [1].

While this subdued, suburban community may not be as nationally known as some of the other neighboring cities surrounding the Los Angeles area, it is still a familiar name for anyone living in Southern California. 

In present day, Glendale is notable for its many connections to the entertainment industry, serving as the headquarters for both DreamWorks Animation and Walt Disney Imagineering [1]. Additionally, it is known for having two of the most highly visited shopping malls in Los Angeles County, The Americana at Brand and The Glendale Galleria [1].

What Glendale is arguably most famous for though, is having a prominent Armenian community. In 2012, Kim Kardashian famously quoted, “I decided I’m going to run for the mayor of Glendale… It’s like Armenian town” on an unaired episode of Khloe & Lamar [2]. While over a decade has passed since Kardashian made that statement, and all indications of her mayoral aspirations have disappeared, her statement is still “relevant”. The Armenian American community and Glendale are almost synonymous. This makes sense considering that Glendale has the largest population of Armenians in the world outside of Armenia, comprising an estimated 30 to 40% of the city’s residents [3]. 

Additionally, since the 1990s, Glendale has demographically had a higher internationally-born population than either the city or county of Los Angeles, measured at 51.5% from 2020 to 2024 [4]. The city is also home to a strong Filipino, Korean and Latino community as well [5]. 

While Glendale may currently be recognized as an “immigrant city”, this could not have been farther from the case only several decades ago.

From its beginnings as a Japanese farming community, to serving as the headquarters for the American Nazi party, and its many attempts to ban POC residents: the tumultuous shaping of Glendale as a city is deeply intertwined with its Asian American history, a context that is widely overlooked.

Navigate the sections below to learn more.