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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Is Seattle a Haven for Asian Americans?
he Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area is only 11th largest in the size of its Asian American population (285,000, or about 11.4% of the area's 2.5 million), but it claims one of the oldest and richest slices of Asian American history. Its Chinatown was home to America's first Asian-owned manufacturing business, the Wa Chong Co. The company produced, among other things, a very fine grade of opium, some of which was probably exported to China with the U.S. government's blessings.
Best city for AA?
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Since its birth in 1910 Seattle's atmospheric International District was settled by generations of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and Vietnamese immigrants. In the late 70s the aging District began enjoying a rebirth into its modern incarnation thanks to Asian American activism in seeking to preserve it as a historical and cultural site. More recently an influx of trendy young AA professionals, entrepreneurs and artists has helped transform it into a vibrant part of downtown Seattle's cultural and night life. The District hosts the Northwest Asian American Theater Company and the Wing Luke Asian American Museum, named after a Chinese American elected to the Seattle City Council in 1965.
On the far end of the Seattle area's cultural spectrum is lush, ultra-modern Bellevue, one of the nation's most affluent communities. Asians make up 20.3% of the students of the Bellevue School District, thrice the 7.3% concentration in the general population of Washington state. This points up the fact that Seattle hosts one of the nation's best established Asian populations. Unlike some urban areas dominated by one or two Asian nationalities, Seattle's AA population is highly diversified, comprising the nations 7th largest Japanese (31,000), the 8th largest Vietnamese (44,000), 9th largest Corean (38,000), and the 11th largest Chinese (58,000) and Filipino (53,000) communities.
The area's Asian Americans take pride in their high degree of acceptance and integration. The fact that the state's governor is a Chinese American named Gary Locke doesn't hurt, of course. Or that the city's major league baseball team is owned by Nintendo chairman Hiroshi Yamauchi and sparked by Ichiro. Even on the grassroots level, one sees signs of acceptance. The ratio of AM/WF couples is noticeably higher than in most other metro areas. A cop who was rude in issuing a jaywalking ticket to a group of Asian Americans last year was reprimanded by the police department. And the ticket was dismissed by the judge.
Is the Seattle area really a haven for Asian Americans? What are the best and worst aspects of AA life there?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:56:40 PM)
TSJ is correct in that compared to almost all the metro areas of the US west coast, the Seattle area still has a pretty small number of AAs (ref: the article on the left). However, from my understanding the figures are gradually rising, and it is by far the largest Asian enclave in the US Pacific northwest (OR, WA, ID). Of course it's a much different scene than SF and LA. But hey, at least the AA population isn't DEcreasing! One Seattle thing I don't like is its white liberal tokenism, which is there in a politely subtle way.
~nikel (lived in/near seattle for 16 years)
Wednesday, April 10, 2002 at 13:38:14 (PDT)
I love Seattle! It's a very diverse Asian town! Chinese, Koreans, Laotians, Vietnamese, Cambodians all united together for the better. Seattle is the best! I'm damn proud of living here with all my Asian brothers and sisters!
SeattleDude
Tuesday, April 09, 2002 at 22:45:53 (PDT)
"Are you joking when you complain that there are no Asian immigrants in Seattle? Have you ever been to South Seattle, which has a large number of Southeast Asian immigrants? Have you been to North Seattle, which has a huge first-generation Korean population (with Korean restaurants and Korean-language churches)? Have you been to Bellevue, which boasts a ton of Hong Kong immigrants?"
First of all, there is a HUGE difference between the word "few" and "no."
A ton of HK immigrants, eh? Compared to where? SF? Uhh... no. VC? Definitely not. LA? Another no. So, what's your definition of a huge population? 58,000 TOTAL Chinese (ABC's, Taiwanese, Toi San, Hongkies, etc.) is not much at all.
And yes, I do kick it in Seattle quite a bit. I know plenty of cool chicks up there. You know why I go there? To get away from being around too many Asians!!!
Toi San Jai
Eric@KristinKreuk.net
Tuesday, April 09, 2002 at 12:22:47 (PDT)
TSJ:
Are you joking when you complain that there are no Asian immigrants in Seattle? Have you ever been to South Seattle, which has a large number of Southeast Asian immigrants? Have you been to North Seattle, which has a huge first-generation Korean population (with Korean restaurants and Korean-language churches)? Have you been to Bellevue, which boasts a ton of Hong Kong immigrants?
By the way, have you ever attended a production here from the terrific Northwest Asian American Theater? I bet not...
Either you haven't spent much time in Seattle, or you spent a lot of time here with a little bean counter trying to tally up all the Asian people you saw without really bothering to get to know the area or its residents. Apparently the only Asian people that register in your consciousness are the ones who sit around and complain that there aren't enough Asian influences in an area instead of going out and creating their own path in society.
Jenny
Tuesday, April 09, 2002 at 00:26:57 (PDT)
"I really don't give a rip about what amusement parks"
Well, if you didn't grow up around amusement parks, 30 screen movie megaplexes, etc., I guess you wouldn't care. As for someone from CA moving up there... he will really miss the entertainment aspects.
TSJ
Eric@KristinKreuk.net
Monday, April 08, 2002 at 15:27:34 (PDT)
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