Chinatown
Chinatown (Chinese: 唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.
"Little China" redirects here. For the ideology, see Little China (ideology).Chinatown
"Tang people street"
Tángrénjiē
Tángrénjiē
ㄊㄤˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄐㄧㄝ
Tʻang2 jen2 chieh1
Daon平 nin平 ka平
Tòhngyàhngāai
Tong4 jan4 gaai1
Tông-jîn-ke
Tòng-ìng-kĕ
中国城
"China-town"
Zhōngguóchéng
Zhōngguóchéng
ㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄔㄥˊ
Chung1-kuo2 chʻeng2
Tson平 koh入 zen平
Jūnggwoksìhng
Zung1 gwok3 sing4
Tiong-kok-siânn
Dŭng-guók-siàng
华埠
"Chinese district"
Huábù
Huábù
ㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄅㄨˋ
Hua2 pu4
Gho平 bu去
Wàhfauh
Waa4 fau6
Hôa-bú
Huà-pú
The development of most Chinatowns typically resulted from human migration to an area without any or with few Chinese residents. Binondo in Manila, established in 1594, is recognized as the world's oldest Chinatown. Notable early examples outside Asia include San Francisco's Chinatown in the United States and Melbourne's Chinatown in Australia, which were founded in the early 1850s during the California and Victoria gold rushes, respectively. A more modern example, in Montville, Connecticut, was caused by the displacement of Chinese workers in New York's Manhattan Chinatown following the September 11th attacks in 2001.[4][5]
Definition[edit]
Oxford Dictionaries defines "Chinatown" as "... a district of any non-Asian town, especially a city or seaport, in which the population is predominantly of Chinese origin".[6] However, some Chinatowns may have little to do with China.[7] Some "Vietnamese" enclaves are in fact a city's "second Chinatown", and some Chinatowns are in fact pan-Asian, meaning they could also be counted as a Koreatown or Little India.[8] One example includes Asiatown in Cleveland, Ohio. It was initially referred to as a Chinatown but was subsequently renamed due to the influx of non-Chinese Asian Americans who opened businesses there. Today the district acts as a unifying factor for the Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Nepalese and Thai communities of Cleveland.[9]
Further ambiguities with the term can include Chinese ethnoburbs which by definition are "... suburban ethnic clusters of residential areas and business districts in large metropolitan areas[10][11] An article in The New York Times blurs the line further by categorizing very different Chinatowns such as Chinatown, Manhattan, which exists in an urban setting as "traditional"; Monterey Park's Chinatown, which exists in a "suburban" setting (and labeled as such); and Austin, Texas's Chinatown, which is in essence a "fabricated" Chinese-themed mall. This contrasts with narrower definitions, where the term only described Chinatown in a city setting.[12]
In popular culture[edit]
Chinatowns have been portrayed in various films including The Joy Luck Club, Big Trouble in Little China, Year of the Dragon, Flower Drum Song, The Lady from Shanghai and Chinatown. Within the context of the last film "Chinatown" is used primarily as an extended metaphor for any situation in which an outside entity seeks to intervene without having the local knowledge required to understand the consequences of that intervention. The neighborhood or district is often associated with being outside the normal rule of law or isolated from the social norms of the larger society.
Chinatowns have also been mentioned in the song "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas whose song lyrics says "... There was funky China men from funky Chinatown ..."[81]
The martial arts actor Bruce Lee is well known as a person who was born in the Chinatown of San Francisco.[82] Other notable Chinese Americans such as politician Gary Locke and NBA player Jeremy Lin grew up in suburbs with lesser connections to traditional Chinatowns. Neighborhood activists and politicians have increased in prominence in some cities, and some are starting to attract support from non-Chinese voters.