The city is more than just a place on map; a collection of buildings and streets. What a city is and what it does comes from the people who live here work here. Hawaiian Gardens has been fortunate to have several groups of citizens that, even prior to incorporation, worked to advance Hawaiian Gardens as a community.

The name is said to be derived from a bamboo shack refreshment stand opened at the corner of Carson and Norwalk boulevards in 1927 by an unknown businessman. The stand was said to resemble a Hawaiian Garden.