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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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Discussions posted during the past year remain available for browsing.
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:56:52 PM)
San Diegan
So you think that the Automobile Club of Southern California should be taken seriously. They're a club from southern california. Of course they will favor SD over most other places.
Well how about on the world's stage!!! New York and San Francisco are the only 2 American cities that are currently able to bid for the 2012 Olympics. Has San Diego ever been considered? I didn't think so!!!
San Diego couldn't possibly compete with SF or NY, Paris, London, Toronto, and Moscow. LA hosted the Olympics and SD was nothing more than a nearby town watching its neighboring city get world wide attention. So what is the point of comparing SD with a world class city like San Francisco?
If I'm correct New York was voted as the best city in the country to live in with San Francisco ranking second.
Hmmm....Why didn't San Diego get considered over San Francisco?
Just giving you a little something to think about!!
A Cute Filipino Guy Who Knows
Friday, September 06, 2002 at 00:19:58 (PDT)
[198.81.26.209]
During this last Labor Day, the Automobile Club of Southern California reported that the first destination of choice that motorist head for is Las Vegas. Second? San Diego.
Maybe the Automobile Club can tell us why motorist prefer SD over LA.
San Diegan
Thursday, September 05, 2002 at 12:46:34 (PDT)
[144.141.248.97]
I guess so. I mean wouldn't there be more going on out there, and wouldn't SD have a better reputation across the country than any of those other cities. And I'm not just talking about Filipinos. I mean tell me, what does SD have that all those other cities don't have. In fact the cities that I just named have more to offer than SD. And they seem to be more famous and popular to different people across the country.
A Cute Filipino Guy Who Knows
Wednesday, September 04, 2002 at 23:27:37 (PDT)
[198.81.26.209]
And you know for sure that all Filipinos in LA, HNL, SEA, NY and SF have avoided San Diego because, like you, they found it boring?
No you don't.
San Diegan
Wednesday, September 04, 2002 at 09:30:15 (PDT)
San Diegan
Yeah....I guess all 200,000 of them would disagree. But what about all the ones in LA, Honolulu, Seattle, New York, and San Francisco. I guess all of them would have to disagree with you.
Right.
A Cute Filipino Guy Who Knows
Thursday, August 29, 2002 at 19:19:52 (PDT)
Filipino Guy,
That's ok if you don't like San Diego. There are 200,000 other Filipinos who make this place their home.
I suppose they disagree with you.
San Diegan
Wednesday, August 21, 2002 at 08:29:47 (PDT)
I was in Southern California on vacation. I visited LA and went around some of the popular spots such as: Laguna Beach, New Port Beach, Sunset Blvd, ect.
I then decided to go to San Diego to see if there was anything to see. And all I have to say is:
BOOORRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!
There were some nice beaches and some good food. But the city lacked excitement and flavor. I didn't even see that many Asains out there. I only saw a few. I did see a bunch of white people but there did not seem to be much diversity around town. Hmmm....So I guess my opinion about the city hasn't changed that much.
Some people love the city. But its really not my kind of town.
A Cute Filipino Guy Who Knows
Tuesday, August 20, 2002 at 01:01:15 (PDT)
San Gabriel Valley includes Diamond Bar and Clairmont.
I guess these cities are the "New Chinatown" too huh? How can you know that F** LA was not referring to those cities?
The taxi driver did not ask which Chinatown. He acually said "Monterey Park is not Chinatown".
Try again.
San Diegan
Monday, August 19, 2002 at 22:40:41 (PDT)
MP BOY,
Hmmm. The subject was that it is racist to assume that a person is foreign by their looks, even if the person making the mistake is Asian.
You failed to address this, rather would like to argue collateral issues.
Because you ignore the initial issue you fail miserably.
Dumbass? look in the mirror.
Case closed.
San Diegan
Monday, August 19, 2002 at 22:37:03 (PDT)
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