Chinatowns

Chinatown, a term that has been used in English since 1857 to refer to the Chinese section of a city outside China, has meant different things to different people at different times and in different cities in North America. For some, Chinatown represents an enclave of vices; for others, a rundown inner-city neighborhood. For still others, Chinatown is a historic district, a cultural hearth, a suburban shopping plaza, or a tourist mecca.

[Page 137]The discovery of gold and demand for labor in the United States and Canada during the nineteenth century lured the rural Chinese to leave their poverty-stricken villages. After their arrival, they lived in Chinatowns, enclaves where they felt safe from the abuse and hostility of the surrounding white community. Being unable to speak in English, they felt more comfortable in Chinatown, where they could communicate with their fellow countrymen in their dialects, and where they could follow their own customs. At the same time, Chinatown functioned as their training base where they learned to master English and live in a foreign environment. Chinatown, a self-contained community, was at that time an idiosyncratic, Asian community amid a Western, urban environment. The mixture of commercial, residential, institutional, and recreational uses, and the Chinese-style decorative facades of buildings gave Chinatown a unique townscape, clearly distinguishable from other parts of the city.

After the war, Chinese immigrants no longer needed to rely on Chinatowns for security and protection, as prejudice and discrimination against them subsided, allowing them to be more easily assimilated into the host society. More and more Chinese left Chinatowns to seek better accommodation in other parts of the city or in the suburbs. Many Chinatowns in small towns and cities became defunct. However, Chinatowns in metropolitan cities remain a Chinese rendezvous spot for social gatherings and for the events of many Chinese clan associations (such as Wong's Association), county associations (associations of people from the same area in China, such as Zhongshan Association), fraternal societies (such as the Chinese Freemasons), and kung fu clubs and recreation societies. Chinese who live in other parts of the city, especially the old-timers, come to their clubs and associations to meet friends and play mah-jongg and other games. To some old-timers, Chinatown is a second home.

Many old Chinatowns in metropolitan cities have been revitalized, and the living situation has been improved. Old prewar buildings have been demolished to provide space for multistory senior citizens' homes or commercial and residential apartment buildings. This gentrification has attracted both Chinese and nonChinese residents to some old Chinatowns, expanded their population base, and diversified their ethnic composition. Some old Chinatowns have become tourist destinations, not only because of the Chinese arches at the entrance to the neighborhood, the Chinese gardens, and other beautification projects, but also because of the unique prewar buildings.

After the 1960s, new Chinese immigrants came to North America from Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and other parts of Asia such as Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. They are heterogeneous, not only in terms of origin but also in terms of wealth, education, and cultural background. Many of them live in better inner-city neighborhoods or affluent suburbs of large cities. New Chinatowns, established after the war, have emerged. A new Chinatown is basically a commercial entity, characterized by a concentration of Chinese [Page 138]businesses along a section of a street or in one or two city blocks. Unlike an old Chinatown, a new Chinatown does not have a Chinese residential population although it is usually located close to neighborhoods with a Chinese population. Anew Chinatown may be developed in a suburban shopping plaza or mall. Such malls were built not only by Chinese investors but also by nonChinese developers. Many of these malls may not have oriental decorative motifs or a Chinese name, although most of their businesses are operated by Chinese, have Chinese store signage, and cater mainly to Chinese and other Asian people. Hence, they are commonly called Chinese malls, Asian malls, or Asian-themed malls instead of Chinatowns. More than fifty Chinese malls have been established in Richmond, a suburban municipality of metropolitan Vancouver, Canada, and there are over sixty in Richmond Hill, Markham, Scarborough, and North York, which are suburban districts of metropolitan Toronto.

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