‘Little Saigon’ has arrived—with its own Caltrans exit signs

After five years and a lot of political turmoil, Caltrans has finally erected seven freeway exit signs that say “Little Saigon” on Highway 101 near 280 in San Jose. Hundreds of people showed up to commemorate the occasion yesterday. The signs direct passers-by to the Vietnamese commercial district on Story Road. The KTVU screen capture above is from the long fight over how to designate Little Saigon.

How big a deal is it? The Mercury News’ Scott Herhold writes, “Deep down, most Californians understand that a place doesn’t have a complete identity—a there there—unless it boasts a freeway exit sign.”