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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
San Diego: Asian American Boomtown?
an Diego doesn't have much of an Asian American history. That could be one reason it may have the brightest future of any Asian American city.
Between 1992 and 2002 the area's Asian American population jumped a spectacular 44%. Its current AA population of 360,000 -- the nation's 10th largest -- is only 12% of the 3,000,000 in the San Diego metro area, but the growth trajectory remains strong due to a steady influx of Asians drawn to the area's paradisial climate and growth potential.
AA Boomtown?
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The area's emerging prominence as the nation's biotech capitol promises to be an growth engine and a powerful magnet for ambitious young Asian Americans. La Jolla, the city's ritziest neighborhood, is home to talent incubators like the Scripps Research Institute, the nation's biggest private research organization. La Jolla is also home to UC San Diego, a top bio engineering power. It doubled its Asian enrollment from 22% of undergraduates in 1991 to 43% in 2002, nearly equal to Whites (44%). The balance is tilting toward Asians. The 2001 freshmen class is 46.5% Asian and 42% White.
The area is also attracting a disproportionate share of other growth industries like software, communications, defense and entertainment, accelerating the escalation of housing prices, not to mention its traffic congestion.
Perhaps because of its blue-sky economic climate and white-collar demographics, San Diego seems to have been hospitable to Asian success. A Corean American architect named C. W. Kim designed several prominent features of its sparkling seaside skyline, including the Emerald Plaza, the Marriott and the First National Bank building.
The city's first Asian success story was Ah Quin, a Chinese immigrant who made a name as a merchant and labor broker during the 1880s when only a few hundred mostly male Chinese made up the city's entire Asian population. Many of those early settlers came to dominate a thriving fishing industry that supplied not only San Diego but Chinese communities on both sides of the Pacific. Today all that remains to commemorate that first small wave of Asian immigrants is the Chinese Museum near Marina Park in the Gaslamp District.
The majority of Asian San Diegans arrived with the wave that began in the late 1960s. Today the city's Asian presence is most visible in the Convoy area located in a triangle formed by the I-805 to the west and Highways 52 and 163 respectively to the north and east. Convoy, Clairemont Mesa Blvd and other streets are lined with Vietnamese, Chinese, Corean, Japanese and Thai eateries, markets, pearl tea shops and business offices. Making up nearly a third of the area's Asians, and its fastest-growing Asian population, Vietnamese have established visible commercial stretches as well in the El Cajon and Mira Mesa districts.
Is San Diego an Asian American boomtown in the making? Or is it destined to become just another L.A. South?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:56:57 PM)
"Boomtown"?
Depends if Boomtown means economic opportunities for Asian Americans or if it means "world class city" that is on the itinerary of travelers from out of state/country.
If San Diego has nothing to do, then why are the hotels/motels booked up on weekends? Why is driving south on Fridays on I-5 from LA to SD bumper to bumper? Why is driving north from SD to LA on Sunday nights the same way?
San Angeles? Physically impossible. Camp Pendleton, a sprawling Marine base is situated between San Diego and Orange Counties, preventing urban aprawl.
I agree with TSJ. SD will stay in the shadow of LA.
And we like it that way.
San Diegan
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 12:40:15 (PDT)
When I was in SD last year, I observed something really funny:
I was eating at the In-N-Out Burger at Pacicfic beach. This kind of dingy-sounding, fake-looking Asian chick with a fake-bake (tanning booth tan) wearing a little hootchie outfit (halter top, short skirt, clunky shoes) was there with her boyfriend. He was a young white guy in a postal worker's uniform who looked like he'd just gotten off work and was TIRED.
Anyway, she was blathering on and on and on (VERY LOUDLY--the WHOLE RESTAURANT could hear it!!!) about this Old Navy bathing suit she'd been trying to buy--going to locations all over town, getting into fights with her girlfriend and unable to find the right size at several stores along the way, etc, etc. He was just sitting there saying "Uh-huh" in between bites, but I can't imagine how he got any words in edgewise.
After this blabbermouth had gone on for over 20 minutes about this bathing suit she wanted and he was obviously fighting the urge to roll his eyes, he finally held up his hand, pointed at her tray and said "Hon, are you going to eat your burger while it's still fresh?" At that point she started eating and shut up, which gave him the most relieved look I'd ever seen.
Unfortunately, a lot of the hotter Asian chicks under 25 I saw in SD were blabbermouths like this one, regardless of the ethnicity of the guys they were with. A lot of the guys looked like they were putting up with it for the sex.
Vacationeer in San Diego
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 11:07:38 (PDT)
San Diego has got the best looking filipino girls of most cities that I have visited. In fact there are girls of any race in that town that are just soooo hot!!!! You name it White, Asain, Mexican, Black, or whatever. The weather is nice, the people are friendly and the city doesn't have all of the fake, polluted, and crime ridden problems of LA!!!! I guess you could say that it is a much nicer place to be in than LA. There are lots of nice beaches and did I already mention all the girls.
The only thing wrong with San Diego is that it really pales in comparison to other large cities. There really is not a whole lot to do in San Diego and I find it to be very boring at times. People there are also really crazy about that town. Everyone seems to have all this San Diego pride. But what are they all proud of? Theres nothing very exciting about the town. It doesn't have the scenery of San Francisco, the popularity and excitement of Los Angeles, nor does it have the big city atmosphere that New York or Chicago has.
Don't get me wrong. Its a nice town with pretty girls. But theres not that much going on out there and it really isn't as exciting as most other major cities.
A Cute Filipino Guy Who Knows
Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 23:39:42 (PDT)
It won't become another LA South. It will always be in the shadow of LA, much like Sacramento will always be considered a second tier town to the Bay. San Diego doesn't stand on its own as a major world class metropolitan area. No tourist from out of state or country would travel just to San Diego. Chances are LA is first on the itinerary, and if there is some time left over, then maybe San Diego.
However, possibly in the not too distance future, LA, will sprawl out so much, both towns will become one "San Angeles," like in the movie, Demolition Man.
TSJ
Eric@KristinKreuk.net
Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 10:47:36 (PDT)
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