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Photos: Hawaiian Gardens celebrates Hawaiians? No! Local celebrations include Robert Canada Friendship Powwow (left) and Mexican Independence Day (right).

Hawaiian Gardens evokes images of tiki torches and exotic Hawaiian dancers with their coconut bras, grass skirts, leis and long, flowing hair. Don’t look for tropical palm trees swaying in the breeze and lush plants such as Plumeria  when you arrive, however. There are palm trees and gardens–and even a few inspired by the Hawaiian Islands–but the city just off the 6o5 Freeway is better known for card tables than anything else. If you blink, you’ll miss the giant electronic freeway billboard advertising Hawaiian Gardens Casino, the focal point of the city.

Less than one square mile of land makes up the smallest city in Los Angeles County where some 15,000 residents come from all walks of life and nationalities, living in what isn’t exactly a Hawaiian garden. There are actually just over 50 residents that come from the Pacific Islands, however, and they account for less than half a percent of the population (0.4%).

How Hawaiian Gardens got its name: Once a wooded marsh where bears roamed freely and Tongva natives tread lightly, the bustling city was named Hawaiian Gardens in 1927, with credit going to a fruit stand owner of shady reputation. The enterprising businessman built a concession  – food shack – near what is now the corner of Norwalk Blvd. and Carson St. as a way to earn a buck, selling snacks and beverages to travelers along the Coyote Creek trail. His shack was a bamboo frame with palm fronds and he had two palm covered outhouses in the back. He called it Hawaiian Gardens. Rumor was that if you requested your soda pop be hardened up, it might include a little moonshine (for an extra fee, of course!)

Today if you say “aloha”  in Hawaiian Gardens you might get a few blank stares. But if you say “hola”, you’re there!