One of the formal entrances or ''
Paifang'' to Chinatown in
London, in
Soho around Gerrard Street, Lisle Street and Shaftesbury Avenue
A 'Chinatown' is a section of an urban area associated with a large number of
Chinese within a
city outside the majority-Chinese countries of
China,
Taiwan, and
Singapore. Chinatowns are most common in
East Asia,
Southeast Asia,
Australia,
North America and the
United Kingdom.
In the past, overcrowded Chinatowns in urban areas were generally shunned by the non-Chinese public as ethnic ghettos, and seen as places of
vice and cultural insularity where "unassimilable foreigners" congregated. Nowadays, many old and new Chinatowns are considered significant centers of
commercialism and
tourism. Some of them also serve, to various degrees, as centers of
multiculturalism, if in a somewhat superficial manner. It is a misconception to assume that a city's 'Chinatown' constitutes the place where most of the city's people of Chinese ancestry live.
Many Chinatowns are focused on commercial tourism whereas others are actual living and working communities; some are a synthesis of both. Chinatowns also range from rundown ghettos to modern sites of recent development. In some, recent investments have revitalized run-down and blighted areas and turned them into centers of economic and social activity. In some cases, this has led to
gentrification and a reduction in the specifically Chinese character of the neighborhoods.
Many Chinatowns have a long history, such as ''
Shinchimachi'', the nearly three-century old Chinatown in
Nagasaki,
Japan, or
Yaowarat Road in Bangkok, which was founded by Chinese traders more than 200 years ago.
Melbourne Chinatown, established in the
Victorian gold rush in 1854, is the longest continuously running Chinatown outside of Asia (San Francisco Chinatown was built earlier during the
California Gold Rush, but rebuilt after it was destroyed by earthquakes). Other Chinatowns are much newer, for example, the Chinatown in
Las Vegas,
Nevada,
U.S. formed in the 1990s. Most Chinatowns grew without any organized plans, while a very few (such as the one in Las Vegas and a new area outside the city limits of
Seoul,
South Korea to be completed by late 2005) were developed following deliberate plans (sometimes as part of redevelopment projects to better the location). Indeed, many areas of the world promote the commercial development and redevelopment (or regeneration) of Chinatowns, such as
Germany, the
Netherlands, and the
United Kingdom.
The gate to
Montreal's Chinatown which has Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese restaurants inside the complex.
History of the earliest Chinatowns by region
Trading centres populated mainly by Chinese men and their native wives had existed throughout Southeast Asia for many years but emigration to other parts of the world from China accelerated in the 1860s with the enactment of the
Treaty of Peking, which opened the border for free movement. The early emigrants came primarily from coastal province of
Guangdong and
Fujian (Fukien) — where Cantonese,
Min Nan (Hokkien),
Hakka, and
Chaozhou (Teochew, Chiu Chow) are largely spoken — in southeastern China. Initially, the Qing government of China did not care for these migrants social misfits leaving the country as they were likely considered socially undesirable and "traitorous" to China. Moneymaking was also frowned upon in
Confucianist China, which Chinese migrants were intending to earn wages as sojourners. However, the Chinese were not a unified group but were divided upon sub-ethnic/linguistic lines, as feuds between those of Cantonese (Punti) and Hakka stocks were common. Generally, there were also sub-divisions based on Chinese clans/surnames.
Taishanese and Cantonese settled in the first North American (United States, Canada), Australian, and Latin American Chinatowns (Cuba, Mexico, Peru). As a group, the Cantonese are linguistically and ethnically distinct from other groups in China with migrants especially coming mostly from the Siyi and Sanyi regions (with various variations of spoken Cantonese) of Guangdong; Cantonese remained the dominant language and heritage of many Chinatowns in Western countries until the 1970s. Due to laws in some countries barring the importation of Chinese wives (for fear of the perceived
Yellow Peril), some Chinatowns emerged as
bachelor’s societies where males dominated and the male-to-female ratio population was generally skewed. In Latin America, many Cantonese-speaking migrants arrived as indentured labourers particularly in Peru (to work in the deadly guano fields) and Cuba (to labor in sugar plantations) giving those countries substantial Chinatowns.
The Hokkien and Teochew (both groups speaking the
Minnan sub-group of Chinese dialects), along with Cantonese are the dominant group in Southeast Asian Chinatowns. Chinese migrants also pioneered some major Southeast Asian cities, such as
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and hence Chinese influence is felt there. The Hakka groups established Chinatowns in
Africa (particularly Mauritius), Latin America and the
Caribbean. Northern Chinese settled in Korea in the 1940s.
In Europe, early Chinese were generally seamen who jumped ship and began to provide services for other Chinese mariners. In the nineteenth century and early twentieth century the United Kingdom treated China as part of its unofficial Empire employing Chinese in its merchant marine in significant numbers. In consequence,from the 1890s onwards significant Chinese communities grew up in London and Liverpool - the main ports for the China trade. However, these communities were a mixture of Chinese men, their British wives and their
Eurasian children. Moreover, they were generally inhabited by those Chinese catering for Chinese seamen. The majority spread throughout these cities usually operating laundries at this time.
France received a large settlement of Chinese immigrant laborers, mostly from the city of
Wenzhou, Zhejiang province of China (to this day, France continues to attract many Chinese immigrants from this particular province; Paris’ newest Chinatown in Belleville is heavily influenced by such immigrants). Chinatowns are also found in the
Indian cities of
Calcutta (once Hakka influenced) and
Bombay.
By the late 1970s, the
Vietnam War also played a significant part in the development and redevelopment of various Chinatowns in developed Western countries. As a result, many Chinatowns have become pan-Asian business districts and residential neighborhoods. By contrast, most Chinatowns in the past were solely inhabited by Chinese from southeastern
China.
Historic Chinatowns such as San Francisco (see
Chinatowns in North America#Northern California) has had a significant influence on the perception of Chinatowns in
western countries. Although, in reality it and other North American Chinatowns fall outside the tradition of Chinese settlement in having significant numbers of Chinese women.
Asia
Yaowarat Road, Chinatown in Bangkok
Binondo District, Chinatown in Manila
'
Yaowarat Road, Bangkok, Thailand'
Established in the 1700s, Chinatown is located in one of the oldest areas in Bangkok. It was set up by Chinese traders who came in junks to trade with Thailand (Siam) during the Rattanakosin period, about 1700s. By the end of 1891, King Rama V had cut many roads, Yaowarat Road is one of them. Therefore Chinatown doesn't consist of only Yaowarat Road, but also covers others such as: Charoen Krung Road, Mungkorn Road, Songwat Road, Songsawat Road, Chakkrawat Road etc. Yaowarat is the centre of the area. The path of the road is like the dragon's curvy body, making it an ideal location for business.
The Kuan Yin Temple (''Kwan Yin Si'') is a local place of worship for Burmese Chinese in Bago and serves as a Mandarin school for the local community.
'Tayote Tan,
Yangon,
Myanmar'
Meaning Chinese Roads or Quarters, it covers almost a fifth of downtown Yangon. The lay-out of Chinatown dates back to the British expansion of Yangon, around the 1850s, thus being as old as the downtown.
'
Binondo District of
Manila,
The Philippines
Prior to the arrival of the
Spaniards in 1571, trade between ethnic Filipino Malays and Chinese traders was already established in pre-colonial
Manila. Manila's Chinatown is one of the oldest in Asia, established sometime in the late 17th century. It is home to many ethnic
Chinese who left the Chinese mainland for a home in the
Philippines.
Binondo is a stone's throw away from the District of
Intramuros, which was the Philippine's administrative capital under
Spanish rule. The district was within the range of Intramuros' canons to quell any uprising the
Chinese could have started.
Binondo became a center of commerce during the American colonial era of the Philippines, since the
Chinese were known to be experts in trading and finance. Banks, department stores, restaurants, insurance companies, nearly all giant commercial establishments were built in Binondo, the most prominent of which are located in the
Escolta Avenue, though these are somewhat out of vogue and dilapidated today.
World War II destroyed much of Binondo's commercial establishments. After the war, most companies relocated to
Makati, the current central business district of
Metro Manila.
'Shinchimachi, Nagasaki, Japan'
With the overthrow of the
Ming Dynasty by the
Qing in the late 17th century, some Chinese (supporters of the Ming) fled to Japan and formed a Chinatown community in Nagasaki before the start of the 18th century, making it (along with the
Binondo district of
Manila of the
Philippines) one of the earliest Chinatowns to be established. Under the
isolationist policies of the
Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, Chinese and
Dutch traders and settlers were confined to Nagasaki. Trade was subsequently resumed with China and Shinchimachi became a trading hub. Shinchimachi has long been the ethnic Chinese cultural and commercial center in Japan, although it size pales in comparison to its counterpart in
Yokohama.
'Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam'
In the early 18th century, Chinese settlers established Chinatowns mainly in Southeast Asia, including the
Cholon district of the former
Saigon,
Vietnam. Cholon was heavily fortified by Chinese to protect against frequent harassment by native Vietnamese
Tay Son loyalists. It remains largely a bustling Cantonese-speaking enclave, comprising Districts 5 and 6 of the city, now renamed Ho Chi Minh City.
Americas
An intersection in Chinatown, San Francisco.
'
Chinatown, San Francisco, California, United States'
As a port city, San Francisco's Chinatown formed in the 1850s and served as a gateway for incoming immigrants who arrived during the California gold rush and construction of the transcontinental railroads of the wild western United States. Chinatown was later reconceptualized as a tourist attraction in the 1910s. Once a community of predominantly Taishanese Chinese-speaking inhabitants, it has remained the preeminent Chinese center in the United States. This Chinatown is the biggest in the world.
'
Chinatown, Chicago, Illinois, United States'
Most people would only remember the Chinatowns of NYC and San Fran but Chicago's Chinatown has grown in population, business, and area. What once used to be a one-street of Chinese restaurants and gift shops has grown to include many new housing developments, thriving businesses, and even an outdoor mall. Chinatown Square consists of many restaurants, gift shops, doctor's clinics, groceries, banks, and misc businesses such as insurance offices, hair saloons, eyeglass shops, etc. Even though the area is constrained by the Red Line train at the east border, the Amtrak railway on the west side, 26th Street along the south end, and the empty railroad lot up north, the area is growing outward toward McCormick (east), the Loop (north), Bridgeport (south/SW), and Pilsen (west/NW). Most of the Chinese population lives in Bridgeport where it was once dominated by Italians and Irish. Now the population is moving toward McKinley Park and Brighton Park.
What most people do not know is that Chicago actually has another Chinatown uptown, predominately Chinese-Vietnamese. It is growing as well and housing prices are almost double to what are in the original Chinatown.
Europe
Main articles: Chinatowns in Europe
'
Chinatown, London, United Kingdom'
London's original Chinatown was established in the
Limehouse district in the late 19th century as Chinese seamen established themselves in the city. Limehouse would become synonymous with Chinese residents and hand laundries were a dominant mode of commerce in the community. Its reputation has come to define Chinatowns as exotic and dangerous with various vices, such as opium dens and gambling dens (called ''fan tans''), as well as places where white girls disappeared mysteriously. Chinatown served as the setting for classic British anti-Chinese literature such as villainous
Dr. Fu Manchu as well as a setting for one
Sherlock Holmes story. Its end came as Limehouse was destroyed during the
Blitz of London by the
Nazi Luftwaffe during the
Second World War. With an influx of new immigrants from then British possession of
Hong Kong, a new Chinatown (mainly commercial) became established in the
Soho district of Central London in the 1950s and 1960s.
'Liverpool, United Kingdom'
Similar in many respects to London's original Chinatown in its origins and the inter-marriage between local women and Chinese men, Liverpool's Chinatown never had the glamour of that of the nation's capital - London.
At the beginning of World War Two, however, there were 20,000 Chinese seamen based in the city. London's Chinatown was reduced to insignificance. Hundreds of Chinese sailors settled down with local women and in the war years the city's Eurasian population grew rapidly. By the end of the conflict it numbered around 1,000. But with the end of the War the men were forcibly repatriated leaving behind them their wives and their children. Few were ever to see their families again. see:
[1]
With the Communist victory in China 1949, men were no longer recruited from the Mainland. Rather they came from Hong Kong and Singapore. Some did settle and marry local women but Liverpool's Chinese or rather Eurasian population had reached its peak and was in decline as they married into the local community.
In the late 1950s a new group of Chinese began to arrive in significant numbers from Hong Kong's
New Territories. For the first time Liverpool and London had Chinese Chinatowns. Their mixed race past became forgotten.
'Chinatown, le quartier chinois, Paris, France'
The history, profile and even location, of Paris's Chinatown have followed political changes in both France and Asia in the last 100 years.
During
World War I, 140,000 Chinese arrived in France as temporary labour, replacing French male workers who went to the war. Most left after 1918, but a community of 2,000 stayed and created the first Chinatown (
l'Ilot Chalon) near the
Gare de Lyon. Nothing is left of it today.
In the 1930s and 1940s, waves of
Wenzhou Chinese settled in Paris and worked as leather workers near the Jewish neighborhood in the
3e arrondissement. Taking over the wholesale trade lost by the
Jews during the
German occupation of France during
World War II, this Chinese community still exists today, but remains extremely discreet. No obvious signs of Chinese culture are to be seen in the rue du Temple, though most shops in this wholesale neighborhood are held by overseas Chinese.
Today's main Chinatown was created in the 1970s in
13e arrondissement. Fleeing persecution and civil wars in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, those overseas Chinese, mostly
Teochew and Cantonese, settled in this newly renovated area. Unlike the Wenzhou settlement in 3
e arrondissement, clear and obvious signs of Chinese culture are more likely to be seen and strong community business has developed, a real city in the city: not only restaurants and food retail, but also banks, real estate agencies and other services. An estimated 68,000 residents of Chinese origin now live in this area of Paris.
With China opening up, more Chinese settlements are developing in Paris and its suburban areas. In
Belleville (
19e arrondissement), another wave of Wenzhou have settled and has taken over this originally North African settlement. Large communities are to be found in small towns outside Paris like
Lognes/
Torcy, or
Noisy Le Grand, where earlier migrants settled, but again without bringing out the usual signs of Chinatown.
Illegal immigration from China is booming; authorities also fear that France's "Authorized Destination Status" with easier visa procedures for China nationals will only increase uncontrolled migration. Illegal workshops have been existing for several years, without always being located within "official" chinatowns and still exist and flourish in different areas in the
11e arrondissement and outside of the city of Paris.
Features
The features described below are characteristic of most Chinatowns. In some cases, however, they may only apply to Chinatowns in Western countries, such as those in North America, Australia, and Western Europe.
(''See also:
Chinatown patterns in North America'')
Arches or ''Paifang''
Many tourist-destination metropolitan Chinatowns can be easily distinguished by large red arch entrance structures known in Mandarin Chinese as ''
Paifang'' (sometimes accompanied by mason lion statues called "
fu lions" on the opposite sides of the street that greet visitors). They usually have special inscriptions in Chinese. Historically, these gateways were donated to a particular city as a gift from the
Republic of China government (such as Chinatown, San Francisco) and business organizations — an exception is long-neglected Chinatown in
Havana, Cuba, which received materials for its paifang from the
People's Republic of China as part of Chinatown's gradual renaissance. Construction of these red arches was also financed by local financial contributions from the Chinatown community. The lengths of these arches generally vary from Chinatown to Chinatown; some span an entire intersection and some are smaller in height and width. Some ''paifang'' can be made of
wood,
masonry, or
steel and may incorporate an elaborate or simple design.
However, some Chinatowns that still do not have the arch feature are now increasingly proposing for the installation of one in their respective communities, such as the Chinatowns in the U.S. cities of Seattle (artistic renderings at http://www.chinatowngate.org) and Houston and the Canadian city of Toronto, as these arches is believed to increase tourist traffic. Additionally, work is being done by the Chinese community of London, United Kingdom, to promote a newer, more authentic Chinese arch on Wardour Street — as opposed to existing
gwei lo versions present on Gerrard Street (pictured above) - in
Chinatown, London. Still, the popular perception of Chinatown often includes these arches.
Bilingual signs
.JPG)
The street signs in Oakland Chinatown are given in English and Chinese.
Many major metropolitan areas with Chinatowns have bilingual street signs in Chinese and the language of the adopted country.
Antiquated features
Many early Chinatowns were characterized by the large number of Chinese-owned
chop suey restaurants (''chop suey'' itself is
American Chinese cuisine and is not considered authentic Chinese cuisine), laundry businesses, and
opium dens, until around the mid-20th century when most of these businesses began to disappear; though some remain, they are generally seen as anachronisms. In early years of Chinatowns, the opium dens were patronized as a relaxation and to escape the harsh and brutal realities of a non-Chinese society, although in North American Chinatowns they were also frequented by non-Chinese. Additionally, due to the inability on the part of Chinese immigrant men to bring a wife and lack of available local Chinese women for men to marry,
brothels became common in some Chinatowns in the 19th century. Chinese laundries, which required very little capital and English ability, were fairly prosperous if long and grueling affairs. These businesses no longer exist in many Chinatowns and have been replaced by Chinese grocery stores, Chinese restaurants that serve more authentic Chinese cuisine, and other establishments. While opium dens no longer exist, illegal basement
gambling parlors are still places of recreation in many Chinatowns, where men gather to play
mahjong and other games. These shady gambling venues are typically featured stereotypically, when portraying Chinatown, in the media such as an episode of
The X-Files and the comedy film
High School High.
Restaurants
Most Chinatowns are universally centered on food and hence, Chinatowns worldwide are usually popular destinations for various ethnic Chinese and increasingly, other Asian cuisines such as Vietnamese, Thai, and
Malaysian (as overseas Chinese from various countries flock to certain Chinatowns and open such as restaurants). Some Chinatowns such as Singapore have their localized style of
Chinese cuisine. Restaurants serve many Chinatowns both as a major economic component and social gathering places. Many adjacent tourist-centric businesses rely on restaurants to bring in the customers, whether or not of Chinese descent. In the Chinatowns in the western countries, restaurant work may be the only type of employment available for poorer immigrants, especially those who cannot converse fluently in the language of the adopted country. Most Chinatowns generally have a range of authentic and touristy restaurants.
San Francisco's Chinatown retains many historic restaurants, including those established from the 1910s to the 1950s, although some that lasted for generations have shuttered in recent years and others have modernized their menus. Many Chinatown eateries from that era specialized in
American Chinese cuisine (or, depending on where they were located,
Canadian Chinese cuisine, Chinese Cuban cuisine, etc.), especially
chop suey and
chow mein. They often used gaudy neon lighting to attract non-Chinese customers, large red doors, Chinese paper lanterns, and
zodiac placemats. Often these restaurants had English-language signs written in a typeface intended to appear stereotypically "Chinese" by being composed of strokes similar to those in
hanzi writing.
Generally speaking, restaurants serving authentic Chinese food primarily to immigrant customers have never conformed to these Chinatown stereotypes as much as those aimed at non-Chinese tourists (although some banquet-oriented restaurants do use some of the same features). Because of new ethnic Chinese immigration and the expanded palate of many contemporary cultures, the remaining
American Chinese and
Canadian Chinese cuisine restaurants are seen as anachronisms but remain popular and profitable. In many Chinatowns, there are now many large, authentic Cantonese seafood restaurants, restaurants specializing in other varieties of Chinese cuisine such as
Hakka cuisine,
Szechuan cuisine,
Shanghai cuisine, etc., and small restaurants with delis.
Chop suey and chow mein eateries
Lit by neon signage, restaurants offering
chop suey or
chow mein mainly for the benefit for non-Chinese customers were fairly frequent fixtures in Chinatowns of old. These dishes are offered in standard barbecue restaurants and takeouts.
Cantonese seafood restaurants
Cantonese seafood restaurants (海鮮酒家, pronounced in Cantonese as ''hoy seen jau ga'') typically use a large dining room layout, have ornate designs, and specialize in seafood such as expensive Chinese-style
lobsters,
crabs,
prawns,
clams, and
oysters, all kept live in tanks until preparation. They also offer the delicacy of
shark fin soup. Some seafood restaurants may also offer
dim sum in the morning through the early afternoon hours as Chinese-speaking female waiters announce the names of dishes whilst pushing steamy carts (Britisher: trolleys) of food and other pastries across the restaurant. Despite the popularity of dim sum brunch among ethnic Chinese and often crowded and very chatty atmosphere of the dining rooms, they are generally considered
loss leaders. These restaurants are also used for weddings, banquets, and other special events.
These types of restaurants flourished and became in vogue in Hong Kong during the 1960s and subsequently began opening in various Chinatowns overseas. Owing to their higher menu prices and greater amount of investment capital required to open and manage one (due to higher levels of staffing needed), they tend to be more common in Chinatowns and satellite communities in developed countries and in fairly affluent Chinese immigrant communities, notably in Australia, Canada, and the United States, where they have received significant population of Hong Kong Chinese emigres. Poorer immigrants usually cannot start these kinds of restaurants, although they too are employed in them. Some seafood restaurants are owned by prominent businessmen or backed by financiers. There are generally fewer of them in the older Chinatowns; for example, they are practically non-existent in
Vancouver's Chinatown, but more are found in its suburbs such as
Richmond, British Columbia,
Canada. Competition between these restaurants is often fierce; hence owners of seafood restaurants hire and even "steal" well-rounded chefs, many of whom are from
Hong Kong.
BBQ delicatessens/restaurants
Also, Chinese barbecue deli restaurants , called ''siu laap'' (燒臘) and sometimes called a "
noodle house" (麵家, ''mein ga'') in Cantonese, are generally low-key and serve less expensive fare such as
wonton noodles (or ''wonton mein''),
chow fun (炒粉, stir-fry rice noodles),
yang chow fried rice (æšå·žç‚’飯), and
rice porridge or
congee, known as ''juk'' in Cantonese Chinese. They also tend to have displays of whole pre-cooked roasted ducks and suckling pigs hanging on their windows, a common feature in most Chinatowns worldwide and in which Chinatowns are widely known for. These delis also serve barbecue pork (å‰ç‡’, ''
cha siu''), chicken feet and other Chinese-style items less welcome to the typical Western palate. Food is usually intended for takeaway (American: take-out). Some of these Chinatown restaurants sometimes have the reputation of being "greasy spoons" and reputation for poor service. Nonetheless, with their low prices, they are still generally patronized by hungry Chinese and other ethnic customers on a budget. One of the older and better-known of these is the multi-story Sam Wo Restaurant, on Washington Street and Grant Avenue in San Francisco's Chinatown. While historic and with a colorful past, Sam Wo Restaurant has since seen a series of different ownership over the years. Similarly, in
Chinatown, London, a highly popular restaurant is the multi-storey
Wong Kei (upon Wardour Street) and it too is reputable for its low price of food and poor quality of service.
Some small Chinese restaurants in Chinatowns may offer both
Chinese American cuisine — for Western customers - and authentic Chinese cuisine for Chinese-speaking customers. According to an interview of Chinese cuisine chef
Martin Yan (host of the television program ''Martin Yan's Chinatown''), more and more non-Chinese are becoming acquainted with authentic cuisine.
In integrating with the larger population, Chinese cuisine has evolved. To adapt to local tastes, the best Chinese Mexican-style Cantonese cuisine is said to be found in Mexicali's Chinatown (or La Chinesca in its local Spanish) or the Chinese Peruvian cuisine in the Barrio Chino of Lima.
Vietnamese immigrants, both ethnic Chinese and non-Chinese, have opened restaurants in many Chinatowns, serving Vietnamese
pho beef noodle soups and Franco-Vietnamese sandwiches. Some immigrants have also started restaurants serving Teochew Chinese cuisine. Some Chinatowns old and new may also contain several pan-Asian restaurants offering a variety of Asian noodles under one roof.
''Chifas''
A special feature of Chinatown in Lima, Peru (''Barrio Chino de Lima'') is the chifa, a
Peruvian-Chinese type of restaurant which mixes Cantonese Chinese cuisine with local Peruvian flavors. Chifa is the Peruvian Spanish deriative of the Cantonese phrase ''jee fon'' (饎飯), which renders as "cook rice" or as "cook meal'". This type of restaurant is popular with native Peruvians.
Street vendors
Besides restaurants, the Chinatowns of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Singapore are noted for their street vendors selling local-style Chinese food from carts and stalls.
Shops
Most Chinatown businesses are engaged in the import-export and wholesale businesses; hence a large number of trading companies are found in Chinatowns.
Ginseng, herbs and animal parts
Small
ginseng and herb shops are common in most Chinatowns, selling products used in
traditional Chinese medicine. The Canadian government has stepped up policing of Chinese traditional medicinal stores and on a few occasions several Chinese stores in
Vancouvers and
Toronto have been raided for products taken from the harvesting of rare and endangered species, such as tiger bone, bear paw and bear gall bladder. This has been alleged by some Chinese to be racial persecution, despite environmental and moral concerns. Other products sold in this trade include sea cucumbers, sea horses, lizards, deer musk glands, , shark fins, swallows' nests, antlers, bear bile pills, crocodile bile pills, deer musk pills, rhino skin pills, and pangolin pills, as well as a wide range of mushrooms, herbs, bark, seaweed, roots and more.
Markets
As with the aforementioned Chinese restaurant trade, grocery stores and seafood markets serve a key function in typical Chinatown economies, and these stores sell essential Chinese ingredients to such restaurants. Such markets are
wholesalers. Chinatown grocers and markets are often characterized by sidewalk vegetable and fruit stalls – a quintessential image of Chinatowns – and also sell a variety of grocery items imported from East Asia (chiefly Mainland China,
Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea) and Southeast Asia (principally Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia). For example, most Chinatown markets stock items such as sacks of Thai
jasmine rice, Chinese
chrysanthemum and
oolong teas, bottles of
oyster sauce, rice
vermicelli, Hong Kong
soybean beverages, Malaysian snack items, Taiwanese
rice crackers, and Japanese
seaweed and Chinese specialties such as black
duck eggs (often used in rice porridge), ''
bok choy'' and
water chestnuts. These markets may also sell fish (especially
tilapia) and other seafood items, which are kept alive in aquariums, for Chinese and other Asian cuisine dishes. Until recently, these items generally could not be found outside of the Chinatown enclaves, although since the 1970s
Asian supermarkets have proliferated in the suburbs of North America and Australia, competing strongly with the old Chinatown markets.
Religious and funerary supplies
In keeping with
Buddhist and
Taoist funeral traditions, Chinese specialty shops also sell incense and a variety of funeral items which provide material comfort in the afterlife of the deceased. Shops typically sell specially-crafted replicas of small paper houses, paper radios, paper televisions, paper telephones, paper jewelry, and other material items. They also sell "
hell money" currency notes. These items are intended to be burned in a furnace.
These businesses also sell red, wooden Buddhist
altars and small
statues for worship. Per Chinese custom, an offering of oranges are usually placed in front of the statue in the altar. Some altars are stacked atop each other. These altars may be found in many Chinatown businesses.
Video CD stores
Chinatowns also typically contain small businesses that sell
imported
VCDs and
DVDs of
Chinese-language films and
karaoke. The VCDs are mainly titles of Hong Kong and PRC films, while there are also VCDs of Japanese
anime and occasionally
pornography. Often, imported
bootleg DVDs and VCDs are sold owing to lax enforcement of
copyright laws.
Street merchants
Street merchants selling low-priced vegetables, fruits, clothes, newspapers, and knickknacks are fairly common in most, if not all, Chinatowns. Most of the peddlers tend to be elderly (Cantonese: ''lo wah cue'').
Benevolent and business associations
.JPG)
Benevolent associations have traditionally been associated with the
Kuomintang. The
flag of the Republic of China is still flown by most benevolent associations in San Francisco Chinatown, including these on Waverly Street.
A major component of many old Chinatowns worldwide is the family benevolent association, which provides some degree of aid to immigrants. These associations generally provide social support, religious services, death benefits (members' names in Chinese are generally enshrined on tablets and posted on walls), meals, and recreational activities for ethnic Chinese, especially for older Chinese migrants. Membership in these associations can be based on members sharing a common
Chinese surname or belonging to a common clan, spoken
Chinese dialect, specific village, region or country of origin, and so on. Many have their own facilities.
Some examples include San Francisco's prominent
Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (ä¸è¯ç¸½æœƒé¤¨), aka
Chinese Six Companies, and Los Angeles' Southern California Teochew Association. The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association is among the largest umbrella groups of benevolent associations in the North America, which branches in several Chinatowns. Politically, the CCBA has traditionally been aligned with the Kuomintang and the
Republic of China.
The London Chinatown Chinese Association is active in Chinatown, London.
Paris has an institution in the ''Association des Résidents en France d'origine indochinoise'' and it servicing overseas Chinese immigrants in Paris who were born in the former
French Indochina.
Traditionally, Chinatown-based associations have also been aligned on specific ethnic Chinese business interests, such as restaurant, grocery, and laundry (antiquated) associations in Chinatowns in North America. In Chicago's Chinatown, the On Leong Merchants Association was active.
Annual events in Chinatown
Most Chinatowns the world over present ''
Chinese New Year'' (also known as
Lunar New Year) festivities with ubiquitous
dragon and
lion dances accompanied by the rhythm of clashing of
cymbals, clanging on a
gong, clapping of hardwood clappers, by pounding of
drums, and by loud Chinese
firecrackers, set off especially in front of ethnic Chinese storefronts, where the "lion" character attempts to reach for a
lettuce or catch an
orange. The lion typically contains two performers and performances may involves several stunts. In return, storekeepers usually donate some money to the performers, some of whom belong to local
martial arts affiliations.
In addition, some streets of Chinatowns are usually closed off for
parades, Chinese
acrobatics and
martial arts demonstrations,
street festivals, and
carnival rides — this is dependent on the promoters or organizers of the events. Other festivals may also be held in a
parking lot/
car park, local
park, or
school grounds within Chinatown. These events are popular with the local ethnic community and also to a non-Chinese audience.
Some Chinatowns hold an annual "
Miss Chinatown"
beauty pageant, such as "Miss Chinatown San Francisco," "Miss Chinatown Hawaii," "Miss Chinatown Houston" or "Miss Chinatown Atlanta."
Dragon and lion dances
Dragon and
lion dances are performed in Chinatown every Chinese New Year, particularly to scare off evil spirits and bring good fortune to the community. They are also performed to celebrate a grand opening of a new Chinatown business, such as a restaurant or bank. In Chinatowns of Western countries, the performers of dragon and lion dances in Chinatown are not necessarily all ethnic Chinese.
Ironically, many lion and dragon dances are considered more preserved in true form in various Chinatowns than in China itself. This discrepancy is largely attributed to the fact that traditional Chinese customs, including lion and dragon dances, were unable to flourish during the political and social instabilities of
Imperial China under rule of the
Qing Dynasty and were almost eliminated completely under the communist order of the People's Republic of China under Chairman
Mao Zedong. However, due to the migration of Chinese all over the world (particularly Southeast Asia), the dances were continually practiced by overseas Chinese and performed in Chinatowns. Some of the top dance instructors come out of overseas Chinese communities.
Ceremonial
wreaths and various leafy green plants with red-coloured ribbons strewn across are also usually placed in front of new Chinatown businesses by well-wishers (particularly family members, wholesalers, community organizations, and so on), to assure future success.
Developments of newer Chinese retail from 1970s to present day
Newer arrivals of Chinese immigrants - from
mainland China,
Hong Kong,
Taiwan, and
Southeast Asia - brought forth and very generally ignored the older Chinatowns that were originally established by the old-stock immigrants. Developments were generally made possible by political instabilities and upheavals in occurrence in East Asia during the 1970s and 1980s, which caused a massive influx of new immigration. Additionally, investors and developers were taking advantage of major real estate opportunities. For example, developers have built up strip malls. Later waves of immigrants from Hong Kong and Taiwan have arrived with comparative affluence (in contrast with earlier Chinese migrants of the 19th and early 20th centuries) and typically have no need for the benevolent associations described above. These communities contain the similar restaurants and various stores described above but in generally sprawled out fashion (some in suburban form), rather than in cramped conditions. They are not called "Chinatowns" per se, but serve as quasi-Chinatowns. In place of the term "Chinatown", some, not all, of such Chinese-oriented business districts have earned nicknames which correspond to the cities of the immigrants' origins, such as "
Little Taipei" (
Monterey Park, California, United States), "
Little Shanghai" (
Ashfield, New South Wales,
Australia), and "
Little Hong Kong" (
Richmond, British Columbia, Canada). Overseas Chinese from Vietnam have generally settled in older Chinatowns or established new ones.
These new forms of Chinese retail are typically to be located in the cities of Australia, Canada, and the United States and serve as newer centers of Chinese in lieu of their older, touristy counterparts. As a result, some cities that received significant amounts of recent Chinese - namely San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, and Sydney - have one main Chinatown (often of historic value) and another newer alternative yet major Chinese center of retail and cultural activities in outlying communities putting them into competition.
The article
Chinatown patterns in North America analyzes further of these developments as well as implications and effects on the old Chinatowns are mentioned in
Social problems in Chinatown. Some insight on several local conflicts when these communities were developed are also covered.
Factors influencing developments of newer quasi-Chinatowns
| Country | Reason |
| People's Republic of China ("Mainlander") | Market reforms in Communist China allowing for migration, growing social stratification forcing poor to seek to their fortunes elsewhere (some as illegal immigrants), and elites such as relatives of leaders like Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin settling in the West in order to obtain Western nationalities before returning to the mainland. |
| Taiwan ("Taiwanese") | Pro-Kuomintang Chinese perceive they did not belong in the island of Taiwan as the Taiwanese localization movement gathered full steam after Chiang Ching-kuo's death, but could not expect return to the still-Communist mainland China either, so went to the West. |
| Hong Kong ("Hongkonger") | Fear by businessmen and opponents of Chinese Communists of implications of 1997 handover of Hong Kong from Britain to Communist China |
| Vietnam (Hoa) | Persecution of Vietnamese-born ethnic Chinese by the Communist Vietnamese government; left Vietnam as impoverished boat people |
Examples of new Chinatowns
For more examples of old Chinatowns vis-a-vis newer Chinese retail areas and some of their compositions, more than can be covered in this section, the articles
Chinatowns in North America and
Chinatowns in Australasia provide extensive detail while the
List of Chinatowns has general locations.
'Flushing, Queens, New York' (New York City)
In the 1970s and 1980s,
Flushing was settled by an influx of Chinese immigrants from Taiwan - who have largely avoided Chinatown, Manhattan for the most part. The vibrant Chinese business district is located on Roosevelt Avenue. Today, the community is not exclusively Taiwanese/Chinese but also contains an adjacent Korean flare.
'Cabramatta, New South Wales, Australia' (Sydney)
A new Chinese retail district was formed by Vietnamese Chinese refugees in the heavily working-class Sydney suburb of
Cabramatta.
'Richmond, British Columbia, Canada' (Vancouver)
Hong Kong Chinese immigrants settled in the Vancouver area in the 1980s and 1990s. The shopping malls are located upon No. 3 Road (in an area called the
Golden Village) in the fairly affluent suburb of Richmond, which have replaced the cultural influence of the poorer Chinatown in downtown Vancouver.
'Markham, Ontario, Canada' (Greater Toronto Area)
The opening of many Chinese strip plazas along Highway 7 and Steeles (particularly around Steeles and Kennedy) has made this area very significant in its contribution to the overall image of the community. The construction of Pacific Mall (North America's biggest Chinese-theme mall) in 1997 has attracted a huge amount of visitors from all over Toronto and even abroad. It continues to grow rapidly and remains a major symbol of Chinese culture with the influx of Mainland Chinese immigrants.
Names for Chinatowns
In
Chinese, Chinatown is usually called, in
Standard Mandarin, '''TángrénjiÄ“''' (å”人街): ''"
Tang people
streets"''. Indeed, some Chinatowns are just a street, such as the relatively short
Fisgard Street in
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada or the sprawling 4-mile (6.4km) long
new Chinatown of Bellaire Boulevard in
Houston, Texas. In
Cantonese, it is called '''Tong yan gai''' (''Tang people street'') and the modern '''Tong yan fau''' (å”äººåŸ ), which literally means ''Tang people town'' or more accurately, ''Chinese town''. '''Hong ngin gai''' is used in the
Taishan dialect, the once prevalent dialect spoken in North American Chinatowns. It is '''Tong ngin gai''' in
Hakka, one of the widely spoken and diffused
dialects among
overseas Chinese. ''Tang'' and ''Tong'' refer to the
Tang Dynasty, an era in Chinese history.
A more modern Chinese name is '''Huábù''' (è¯åŸ : ''Chinese City''), used in the semi-official Chinese translations of some cities' documents and signs. ''Bù'', pronounced sometimes as ''fù'', usually means ''seaport''; but in this sense, it means ''city'' or ''town''. The literal word-for-word translation of ''Chinatown'' is '''ZhÅngguó Chéng''' (ä¸åœ‹åŸŽ), occasionally used in Chinese writing.
In
Francophone regions (such as
France and
Quebec), Chinatown is often referred to as '''le quartier Chinois''' (''the Chinese Quarter''; plural: '''les quartiers Chinois''') and the Spanish-language term is usually '''el barrio chino''' (''the Chinese neighborhood''; plural: '''los barrios chinos'''), used in
Spain and
Latin America. (However, ''barrio chino'' or its
Catalan cognate ''barri xines'' do not always refer to a Chinese neighborhood: these are also common terms for a disreputable district with drugs and prostitution, and often no connection to the Chinese.). The Vietnamese term for Chinatown is ''Khu ngÆ°á»i Hoa'', due to the prevalence of the Vietnamese language in Chinatowns of Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Montréal as ethic Chinese from Vietnam have set up shop in them. Other countries also have idiosyncratic names for Chinatown in local languages and in Chinese; however, some local terms may not necessarily translate as ''Chinatown''. For example, Singapore's tourist-centric Chinatown is called in local
Singaporean Mandarin ''Niúchēshǔi'' (牛车水), which literally means "Ox-cart water" from the Malay 'Kreta Ayer' in reference to the water carts that used to ply the area. Some languages have adopted the English-language term, such as
Dutch,
German, and
Bahasa Malaysia. In Malaysia, the term ''Chinatown'' is named under administrative reason. Instead, the name ''Chee Chong Kai''（ 茨厂街）is preferred and agreed upon by the locals. ''Chee'' in Hakka means tapioca, ''chong'' means factory and ''kai'' means street. This is originated from a factory that was set up by Yap Ah Loy, a rich
Kapitan (a Chinese immigrant that has administrative and political power under the British rule) that made tapioca. Chee Chong Kai is also called ''jalan Petaling'' or "Petaling Street".
Several alternate English names for Chinatown include 'China Town' (generally used in
British and
Australian English), 'The Chinese District', 'Chinese Quarter' and 'China Alley' (an antiquated term used primarily in several
rural towns in the
western United States for a Chinese community; some of these are now historical sites). In the case of Lillooet, British Columbia, Canada, China Alley was a parallel commercial street adjacent to the town's Main Street, enjoying a view over the river valley adjacent and also over the main residential part of Chinatown, which was largely of adobe construction. All traces of Chinatown and China Alley there have disappeared, despite a once large and prosperous community.
Chinatowns worldwide
Chinatowns are most common in
North America,
Asia,
Australia and
Europe, but are common across much of the globe. Immigration patterns determine the economic, political and social character of individual Chinatowns, as do their intranational locations (urban, suburban or rural). Most Chinatowns grow organically but some countries have taken to building and promoting Chinatowns within their bigger cities.
Artificial Chinatowns
The latest trend of Chinatowns has been to build-up artificial or prefabricated Chinatowns, constructed as Chinese-themed shopping malls in lieu of actual traditional communities. Examples are in
Las Vegas (United States - see
Chinatown, Las Vegas),
Dubai (United Arab Emirates),
Glasgow (United Kingdom),
Incheon (South Korea),
DobroieÅŸti (Romania),
St. Petersburg (Russia) and
Darwin (Australia) and in some Canadian cities, most notably the
Golden Village in
Richmond, British Columbia.
There is even one such mall going up in 2006 in
Manila in the Philippines, in which the project is called "Neo Chinatown" and is to be developed in conjunction with Filipino Chinese and Mainland Chinese businessmen.
[2]
Chinatown in film, television, and the arts
Film
★ ''
Broken Blossoms'' (1919) directed by D.W. Griffith starring Lillian Gish.
★ ''
The Hatchet Man'' (1931), Los Angeles,
Edward G. Robinson
★ ''
Mr. Wong in Chinatown'' (1939),
Boris Karloff
★ ''
Mr. Wong in Phantom of Chinatown'' (1940), Boris Karloff
★ ''
Chinatown'' (1974), Los Angeles,
Jack Nicholson,
Faye Dunaway (despite the title, very little footage in Chinatown, which functions more as a metaphor, though the scenes that are filmed there are key scenes)
★ ''
Invasion of the Body Snatchers'' (1978), San Francisco,
Donald Sutherland,
Brooke Adams, two key scenes are set in the City by the Bay's Chinatown.
★ ''
Blade Runner'' (1982), Los Angeles Chinatown of 2019,
Harrison Ford,
Sean Young
★ ''
Chan Is Missing'' (1982) directed by
Wayne Wang, set in San Francisco's Chinatown.
★ ''
Year of the Dragon'' (1985), Manhattan Chinatown,
Mickey Rourke
★ ''
Big Trouble in Little China'' (1986), San Francisco,
Kurt Russell,
Kim Cattrall
★ ''China Girl'' (1987), filmed in NYC Chinatown
★ ''
Eat a Bowl of Tea'' (1989), set in the New York Chinatown of the 1940s
★ ''
Bird on a Wire'' (1990),
Chinatown, Victoria, British Columbia,
Mel Gibson,
Goldie Hawn (Note: Victoria's Chinatown in this film is standing in for a fictional Chinatown in
Racine, Wisconsin. Racine has no actual Chinatown.)
★ ''
The Joy Luck Club'' (1992), based on the novel by Amy Tan (see below)
★ '' (1993),
San Francisco
★ ''
Golden Gate'' (1994), San Francisco,
Matt Dillon and
Joan Chen
★ ''
Jade'' (1995), San Francisco, with
David Caruso,
Linda Fiorentino
★ ''
Jackie Chan's First Strike'' (1996),
Brisbane (Australia) Chinatown,
Jackie Chan
★ ''
The Game'' (1997), San Francisco,
Michael Douglas and
Sean Penn
★ ''
Mr. Nice Guy'' (1997),
Melbourne (Australia) Chinatown, Jackie Chan
★ ''
Tomorrow Never Dies'' (1997),
Pierce Brosnan, motorcycle chase scene supposedly set in
Ho Chi Minh City's ''Cholon'' district (
Vietnam) but actually filmed in
Bangkok's ''Yaowarat'' (
Thailand)
★ ''
Lethal Weapon 4'' (1998),
Los Angeles
★ ''
Rush Hour'' (1998),
Los Angeles Chinatown,
Jackie Chan and
Chris Tucker
★ ''
The Corruptor'' (1999), set in
Manhattan Chinatown but filmed in
Toronto, Canada Chinatown,
Chow Yun-Fat and
Mark Wahlberg
★ ''
Entrapment'' (1999),
Sean Connery and
Catherine Zeta Jones, a scene filmed in Chinatown of Malacca (Malaysia)
★ ''
Now Chinatown'' (2000), independent film, Los Angeles Chinatown
★ ''
Romeo Must Die'' (2000), San Francisco Chinatown but filmed in part in Vancouver, Canada, Jet Li and
Aaliyah
★ ''
Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity'' (2002),
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
★ ''
The Sweetest Thing'' (2002),
Cameron Diaz,
Selma Blair and
Christina Applegate, three scenes including a comical musical sequence are set in San Francisco's Chinatown
★ ''
Freaky Friday'' (2003), several key scenes are set in the
Los Angeles Chinatown
★ ''
The Departed'' (
2006),
Martin Scorsese's
Boston-set crime epic with
Matt Damon,
Leonardo DiCaprio and
Jack Nicholson features one key scene in the city's Chinatown neighborhood.
★ ''
Year of the Fish'' (2007), a Chinese folk tale variant of ''Cinderella'' set entirely in modern-day Chinatown, New York.
★ Confesion of a Opium Eater, 1962,
Vincet Price, the horror film aboot opium smoking in Chinatown, San Franciso in 1902
★ High school high, 1996, Jon Lovitz, story set and filming in Chinatown, Los Angeles
★ gideon oliver: Tongs, conncerning tong ware in new york chinatown
★ Fast and furious, 2001, scene of the race scene with motorcycle gang set in a fictional Chinatown of Los Angeles (complete with Confucianist statues and a Chinese paifang), but actually filmed in
Little Saigon in suburban Orange County, California
Television
★ ''
Hawaii Five-O'' (1978) - episode titled "A Death in the Family",
Honolulu Chinatown
★ ''
The Incredible Hulk'' (1981) - episode titled "East Winds"
★ ''
Reading Rainbow'' (1980) - educational series, "Liang & the Magic Paintbrush" episode, Manhattan Chinatown
★ ''
My Secret Identity'' (1989) - episode titled "The Eyes of the Shadow"
★ ''
The Simpsons'' (1989-2006) - animated series. Characters visit the Manhattan Chinatown in the episode "
The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson." The first part of the episode titled "
A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love" takes place in the fictitious
Springfield Chinatown. Included are many exaggerated or ridiculous depictions of a
dragon dance,
fortune cookies, and an imagining of a "Tibettown."
★ '' (1993-1997) - starring
David Carradine and
Chris Potter. Numerous episodes are set in the Chinatown of an unnamed major U.S. city as the protagonist lives in one. Filmed in
Toronto.
★ ''
Nash Bridges'' (1996-2001) - episode titled "Promised Land", San Francisco's Chinatown, that has title character Nash (
Don Johnson) and his unit investigating a powerful crime lord (
Michael Paul Chan).
★ ''
The X-Files'' (1996) - episode titled "Hell Money", portraying San Francisco's Chinatown. Filmed in
Vancouver.
★ ''
Charmed'' (1998) - episode titled "Dead Man Dating", San Francisco's Chinatown
★ '' (1999-2006) - two episodes in Manhattan Chinatown. The episode "" deals with the issue of immigrant smuggling, whereas "" deals with a serial offender who targets members of the Chinese community.
★ ''Time Machine: Chinatown: Strangers in a Strange Land'' (2000) - documentary,
The History Channel
★ '' (2001) - cold open of the episode "Chinoiserie" features a heinous crime taking place in Manhattan Chinatown.
★ ''
Martin Yan's Chinatowns'' (2002-2004) - cooking show on Food Network Canada, shows multiple worldwide Chinatowns and their various Chinese cuisine
★ ''Sucker Free City'' (2004) filmed for cable television and directed by
Spike Lee, set and filmed on-location in San Francisco's Chinatown, a vignette dealing with a teenage Chinatown racketeer and selling of pirated gangsta rap CDs in Chinatown
★ ''
Family Guy'' (2005) - In the episode "
Breaking Out Is Hard to Do", Lois is sentenced to three years in prison for stealing. Peter smuggles Lois out of prison and they hop into a laundry van which brings them to "Asiantown" where they seek refuge. "Asiantown" is a reference to and resembles a Chinatown.
Other
★ ''
Flower Drum Song'' (1958), musical, San Francisco
★ ''
The Joy Luck Club'' (1988), novel by Amy Tan
★ ''
Lethal Enforcers'' (1992) - video game. The assignment "Chinatown Assault" takes place in Chicago's Chinatown.
★ '' (1999), video game, San Francisco Chinatown
★ '' (1999), memoir by
Wayson Choy
★ ''
Kill the Messenger'' (2006), novel by Tami Hoag
★ , video game, contains an in-game city called
San Fierro, modeled after
San Francisco, complete with a Chinatown.
See also
★
Asian supermarket
★
Chinatown bus
★
Japantown
★
Koreatown
★
Little Saigon
★
Thai Town
★
List of U.S. cities with large Chinese American populations
★
List of cities with large Chinese Canadian populations
★
List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities
★
Overseas Chinese
★
Sunset Park, home to "
Brooklyn Chinatown"
★
Jack Manion San Francisco's Chinatown squad
★
List of Chinatowns
★
Europe Street, a street in China dedicated to the European culture
External links
★
Chinatownology: Singapore Chinatown
★
Information on Chinese New Year Parade and Festivals
★
A Journey through Chinatown photo, maps, and information about New York City's 3 Chinatowns.
★
Chinatown New York City Blog
★
Toronto's 6 Chinatowns Blog
★
Yamashita's Web Site - Pictures of Chinatowns worldwide
★
Asian-Nation: Ethnic Enclaves & Communities
★
Photos of Boston's Chinatown
★
Manchester UK
★
360 Panorama of London China Town
===
Australian Chinatowns===
'Australian Chinatowns'
===
African Chinatowns===
'African Chinatowns'
===
Asian Chinatowns===
'Asian Chinatowns'
===
Latin American Chinatowns===
'Latin American Chinatowns'
===
Middle East Chinatowns===
'Middle East Chinatowns'
North American Chinatowns
'North American Chinatowns'
Canada
★ CBC News - Indepth: Chinese Migrants - History of Chinese immigration in CanadaBritish Columbia
★ Chinatown Vancouver Online
★ Short History of Vancouver's Chinatown
★ Victoria's Chinatown
★ BC Archives photo galleries of Victoria's Chinatown - six pages (use "forward" button)
★ New Westminster's Chinatown
★ New Westminster Museum and Archives Chinatown Project
★ Lillooet's Chinatown - the BC Interior's first Chinatown
★ Barkerville's Chinatown - although ostensibly about Barkerville ''per se'', content here is all Chinese-related.
★ Map of Barkerville, explaining location and circumstances of Chinatown
★ Yale's Chinatown - the first Chinatown on the BC Mainland
★ Yale's On Lee House - a surviving structure of Yale's Chinatown
★ Cumberland's Chinatown - once the second-largest on the West Coast of North America (c.1910)
★ Cumberland's Chinese Strikebreakers ("scabs"), from Digital Collections "King Coal" series
★ Picture of Cumberland's Chinatown, 1910Alberta
★ Edmonton Chinatown Multicultural Centre
★ Calgary's ChinatownManitoba
★ Winnipeg's ChinatownOntario
★ Short history of Toronto's Chinatown
★ Historic (Toronto) Chinatown desperately seeking revival
★ Sino-Vietnamese: Chinese sub-ethnic relations in Toronto’s Chinatown West District - Academic paper about the Chinese Vietnamese in Toronto's Chinatown (PDF file)
★ Ottawa's Chinatown - Somerset Heights
★ blog featuring many photographs of buildings in Ottawa's Chinatown
★ Toronto's 6 Chinatowns Blog - photos, items, restaurant reviewsQuebec
★ Montreal's Chinatown'Mexico'
Baja California
★ http://www.cpamedia.com/articles/0203_03/ Mexicali’s Chinatown: Sharks fin Tacos and Barbecued Chow Mein
United StatesCalifornia
★ Library of Congress: The Chinese in California, 1850-1925
★ San Francisco Chinatown - learn about history, points of interest and more
★ The Chinese in Plumas County (California) - Several examples of early rural Chinatowns in Northern California
★ Homepage for Chinatown, Los Angeles, USA
★ The Chinese Beverly Hills - ''Asian Week'' article on the first Chinese American suburban community of Monterey Park, California, USA (Greater Los Angeles area).
★ Where the action is - Los Angeles Times article on the suburban Chinese business district of San Gabriel, California, USA (Greater Los Angeles area)
★ Urban Cultural Playground: Art, Hollywood, and the Gentrification of Los Angeles Chinatown - from a communist-leaning perspective
★ Oakland Chinatown
★ Chinatown Renaissance Project - Sacramento, CaliforniaTexas
★ Austin Chinatown Center, located at North Lamar Boulevard
★ Houston Chinatown
★ Dallas ChinatownU.S. Pacific Northwest
★ Seattle Chinatown / International District
★ Portland ChinatownSouthwestern U.S.
★ Las Vegas Chinatown Plaza
★ Article: Asian-themed centers quickly dotting the desert in Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
★ Chinese Cultural Center - A Chinatown-themed shopping center located in Phoenix, Arizona, USAOther Western U.S.
★ Denver Chinatown
★ Deadwood, South Dakota excavations - Remains of an old Chinatown
★ Remembering Butte's Chinatown
★ Celebrating the New Year in Salt Lake's Chinatown
★ History of Plum Alley, Salt Lake's Chinatown - KUED 7: Utah: The Chinese Experience
★ Denver Chinatown/Hop Alley: Chinese were the victim of lynching in AmericaNortheastern U.S.
★ NYC Chinatown
★ Boston's Chinatown Heritage Project
★ Washington DC Chinatown
★ Washington DC Chinatown
★ A Journey through Chinatown Chinatowns in New York City
★ Philadelphia Chinatown
★ Pittsburgh's Forgotten Chinatown
★ Inn to the past: Downtown Cantonese restaurant points back to Pittsburgh's vanished Chinatown
★ When Newark Had A Chinatown - A project researching the hidden history of a former Chinatown of a large American city, Newark, New Jersey
★ Constructing New York's Chinatown: The Urban Development of a Neighbourhood
★ Chinatown Boston: Past, Present, and Future
★ Baltimore Chinatown Project
★ Yan Can Eat: An Interview with Martin Yan
★ Pittsburgh Chinatown
★ Photos of Boston's ChinatownMidwest U.S.
★ Chicago Chinatown
★ A growing and energized Chinese community is developing plans for a new Cleveland Chinatown
★ Detroit's Lost Chinatown
★ Oklahoma City Chinatown / Asia District
★ Cincinnati Chinatown - Sept. 11 evokes echoes of Dec. 7Southeastern U.S.
★ Atlanta Chinatown
★ Charlotte Asian Corner Mall - Charlotte's Chinatown
★ New Orleans Chinatown
★ Charlotte ChinatownFlorida
★ Miami Chinatown
★ Tampa Chinatown - A culture takes root in TampaOther
★ Lists of Chinatown bus lines available in United States
★ Fung Wah Bus: NYC - Boston Shuttle Bus
★ Urban Legends and Folklore: SARS Infects Restaurant Workers in Asian Neighborhoods - Lists Chinatown SARS hoaxes that were distributed online
★ Chinatown - Honolulu, Hawaii |
===
European Chinatowns===
'European Chinatowns'
Further reading
★ Sons of the Yellow Emperor: A History of the Chinese Diaspora (1994) by Lynn Pan. Book with detailed histories of Chinese diaspora communities (Chinatowns) from San Francisco, Honolulu, Bangkok, Manila, Johannesburg, Sydney, London, Lima, etc.
★ Chew, James R. "Boyhood Days in Winnemucca, 1901-1910." ''Nevada Historical Society Quarterly'' 1998 41(3): 206-209. ISSN 0047-9462 Oral history (1981) describes the Chinatown of Winnemucca, Nevada, during 1901-10. Though many Chinese left Winnemucca after the Central Pacific Railroad was completed in 1869, around four hundred Chinese had formed a community in the town by the 1890s. Among the prominent buildings was the Joss House, a place of worship and celebration that was visited by Chinese president Sun Yat-Sen in 1911. Beyond describing the physical layout of the Chinatown, the author recalls some of the commercial and gambling activities in the community.
★ ''Chinatown: Conflicting Images, Contested Terrain'', K. Scott Wong, Melus (Vol. 20, Issue 1), 1995. Scholarly work discussing the negative perceptions and imagery of old Chinatowns
★ Daniel Williams,
Chinatown Is a Hard Sell in Italy ''
Washington Post'' Foreign Service, March 1, 2004; Page A11
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