Asian Life in San Francisco | Asian American Poll

ASIAN LIFE IN SAN FRANCISCO
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:09:35 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Which San Francisco Bay area offers the best environment for Asian Americans?
Downtown SF | 47%
East Bay | 31%
Marin County | 8%
South San Francisco | 14%

What's the best thing about living in the San Francisco Bay area?
Breathtaking Scenic Beauty | 40%
Clean Air | 19%
Lots of Fine Chinese Restaurants | 15%
Asians Everywhere | 18%
Great Universities, Skiing and Wine | 8%

What's the worst thing about living in the San Francisco Bay area?
No Summer Weather | 12%
Perpetual Gridlock | 40%
Too Crowded with Asians | 1%
Shortage of Decent Housing | 47%

This poll is closed to new input.
Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

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WHAT YOU SAY

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"Few weeks ago in NY, several Fujianese were convicted of smuggling cocaine into the country. They were also charged with selling counterfeit merchandise in the millions. Some Chiu Jaus practice these criminal behaviors as well. Last year, city investigators raided a warehouse own by Chiu Jaus who were importing fake products from China."

Yeah, but the thing is, it may be the Chiu Juws and Fukienese getting caught for these almost petty crimes, but who do they work for? HK Triads. I'm pretty certain these poor immigrants don't have the resources to conduct such an elaborate operation on their own. They do the same thing with Viets. I'm sure you know about BTK. They were the soldiers for the Chinese Mafia for years. Basically, HK people are smart. They don't want to get their hands dirty, so they hire a bunch of grunts to do it for them, and ultimately take the fall if it turns ugly.

Yeah, I would really like to see what Toi San looks like, to see where my parents were born and all that. My mom wants no part of it though, so I guess I would have to go on my own if I wanted to see it. She has bad memories of that place, but didn't really live there all that long. She was raised in HK.

Anyways, we'll be going on one of those guided Chinese tours. I like those. We have taken some all over the US and Canada. They are cheap, and they show you everything you need to see. Last spring, we booked an East Coast trip for the fall, but you know how that went. Check this out. It's a trip. 9/22 was supposed to be the back up date in case 9/11 didn't go down. On 9/22, we would have been flying out of Boston on that exact same flight to SF that crashed near Pittsburgh.

Damn, that sucks that you are out of work. What sector do you work in? I'm working in real estate now, but personally, I think the market is going to crash big time before long. NYC and SF are the most expensive real estate areas in the country, and waaaay overpriced if you ask me. I mean, houses cost upwards of three to four times as much as other cities, but do you make nearly that much more money? Better yet, can you even find a damn job to begin with?! I'm seriously considering moving out of here for the time being. I mean, it will always be home, but I just need some time away.

Anyways, I had a job interview at JT Marlin... oops, I mean JP Morgan (too much Boiler Room for me) yesterday that I totally tanked. There were these two mean Chinese ladies interviewing me. I know this is way off subject, but you know how Chinese ladies who marry white boys keep their maiden name, then hyphenate their husband's last name? Like Chan-Johnson or Wong-Smith. Gosh, I hate that. Anyways, both of these mean old Chinese ladies had names like that. What is that supposed to prove? Does that make them any less of a sell out because they keep their maiden name?! Anyways, the whole time they were being sarcastic and hostile with me. I was about to bust out, "It's painfully obvious you don't like Chinese guys, so stop wasting my time!" and just storm out of there.
TSJ Eric@KristinKreuk.net Wednesday, August 07, 2002 at 01:15:45 (PDT)

TSJ,

Dude, I was just out here on the East Coast. I ventured into Boston to meet up with a Harvard buddy and then headed out into Connecticut to catch some fish with another friend (sounds stupid but it's true). I just needed to get out of the city for a change without traveling too far. I wanted to go out to Seattle but I am on a tight budget after losing my job a month ago.

Right now, we are still suffering from the aftermaths of 9-11. The city's economy still stinks and the job market here is dry like a desert. The media is saying the city is getting better, but don't believe everything they say. I have friends who are out of work and they can't get a job like me. The positive side of all this is that I have met some cool chics along the way. Some of them also lost their jobs like many other people. I guess misery loves company.=P

Toi San has its nice areas and shady parts. Overall it's a decent place for someone who wants to see the countryside. Let me tell you, the Toi San city is very different now. It's developed with hotels and modern buildings. Some of the backward areas like the villages are beginning to progress too.

I guess you aren't venturing into the hick towns but only the major cities which seems like a good idea. Why? The food in the villages tastes like crap and the environment will be shocking to any American. With the exception of Toi San, anything outside of borders HK can be dangerous. Take the New Territories as an example. The place is developed but some of its areas are infested with petty criminals and prostitutes. I'm not saying that these people aren't found in Toi San but it has less compared to these areas.

Chiu Jaus and the Fujianese (the recent immigrants) seem to be the most aggressive and violent of the Southern Chinese. I mean these guys will do anything. Few weeks ago in NY, several Fujianese were convicted of smuggling cocaine into the country. They were also charged with selling counterfeit merchandise in the millions. Some Chiu Jaus practice these criminal behaviors as well. Last year, city investigators raided a warehouse own by Chiu Jaus who were importing fake products from China.

Toi Sans probably don't have the guts like these guys but at least they are more decent people. I know many Chinese tend to be hungry for the quick buck but such practices are unacceptable. To attain the American dream by doing these things just isn't my idea of success.
LSD Tuesday, August 06, 2002 at 08:05:15 (PDT)

Hey LSD! Where did you go for vacation? I'll be taking a trip soon, back to the motherland. Not to Toi San, but Beijing, Shanghai, and HK.

Hmm... I don't seem to find too many Shanghainese in this area. They are really distinctive because their language is quite different from Canto and Mandarin. It almost sounds like a cross between Korean and Vietnamese. The majority of Chinese, and I mean a HUGE majority in this area are Toi Sans and HK people. There are a lot of Taiwanese now too, and some Chiu Jaus. Most of the mainlanders live in places where more established Toi Sans and HK'ers have already abandoned, like SF Chinatown. On any given day though, you would be hardpressed to find anyone who isn't a native Canto or Mandarin speaker. I guess the mainlanders go to other parts of the US more frequently, like NYC.

Well, Chinese intermarriage in HK is common because everyone there is from somewhere else. There are no natives to that small area, and people from all parts of China ventured there. It's like white people in America on a much smaller scale. Over time, Europeans in America all intermingled to create what we think of as "white." This is like how it is in HK. All Chinese groups mixed to create "HK people." They spoke the common language (Canto in HK, English for the whites in America), and pretty much established their own racial identity.

Yeah, I think Chiu Jau people are ruthlessly aggressive. They are almost like Koreans in that way. Toi Sans are laid back because traditionally, they have been dealt a poor hand, so they just take what is given to them. There is a reason why they were the first to leave China to come to the states. I would say Toi Sans are tolerant, and just accepting of life's harsher realities. On the same hand, they are hard working, and will do whatever it takes to correct those ills.
TSJ Eric@KristinKreuk.net Thursday, August 01, 2002 at 13:09:23 (PDT)

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