Asian and Pacific Islander -towns- gather in Southern California, the most in the United States

Los Angeles County is home to the largest Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population in the United States, with over 6 million residents in California alone. The greater Los Angeles area has seen a remarkable growth in its AAPI community over the past few decades. The Los Angeles Times recently analyzed census data from the past 40 years to explore the factors that have contributed to this significant demographic shift.

Historically, the census data did not distinguish between different Asian ethnicities, merely classifying them as a single group. Even as the AAPI population began to grow substantially in the 1980s, Los Angeles County grouped them under the “Other” category. As of today, a quarter of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are still counted as “other,” and only 25 Asian countries and five Pacific Island nations have their data compiled separately for federal assistance.

The term “Asian American” emerged in the 1960s as a way for Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino advocates to unify political identity. Today, it encompasses a broad range of ethnicities, including those from East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia. Events like the AAPI traditional music festival now celebrate the heritage of various groups, including Native Hawaiians and descendants of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia.

AAPI migration to California dates back to the 1800s, with early enclaves such as Old Chinatown and Little Tokyo established by the first wave of immigrants. It wasn’t until the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 that neighborhoods like Koreatown, Filipinotown, and Thai Town began to develop due to an influx of Asian immigrants. Research from UCLA shows that the AAPI population in the Los Angeles area grew from approximately 198,000 in 1970 to nearly one million in 1990.

Currently, there are 14 neighborhoods in Los Angeles County with significant Asian populations, primarily located in the San Gabriel Valley. Since 1980, the county’s population increased by 2 million, with the Asian population tripling from 417,000 to 1.4 million. Cities like Monterey Park, Koreatown, Long Beach, Torrance, and Cerritos have seen their Asian populations grow from 10,000-18,000 in the 1980s to three times those numbers today. Notably, Santa Clarita’s Asian community surged from under 600 residents to 19,000.

The importance of AAPI immigrants to Los Angeles is encapsulated in a historical anecdote: in 1783, a census noted a Filipino named Antonio Miranda Rodriguez, part of the group that helped establish the village that would become Los Angeles.

The stories of other AAPI groups mirror this narrative. Chinese workers were counted in the California census of 1850, with Japanese immigrants first appearing in the data in 1870. The 1910 census recorded Korean, Filipino, and Indian populations, but these groups were still categorized as “Other.”

Clusters of early Asian communities often resulted from legal restrictions and geopolitical factors. Chinese immigrants lived in the area near the original “Los Angeles Plaza” not just for cultural solidarity, but also to escape the anti-Chinese sentiment prevalent in the late 19th century. Similar barriers affected other non-white Asian immigrants; 18th-century land deeds in the San Fernando Valley prohibited property transactions to Chinese, Japanese, and Black individuals.

While Los Angeles County aimed to protect these early immigrant enclaves, many original settlements have vanished. The original Old Chinatown was demolished to make way for Union Station and the Hollywood Freeway, while the new Chinatown, built in the 1930s, now struggles against gentrification.

Little Tokyo has transformed from a residential area to a commercial zone after World War II, shrinking approximately by a quarter. It is now seen as an endangered historic site, facing the same gentrification pressures as Chinatown.

The history of Asian development in the San Gabriel Valley reflects the broader trends of Southern California: the region’s Asian population has grown from 76,000 in the 1980s to over 455,000 today, accounting for one-third of the county’s Asian residents.

Post-World War II, Los Angeles experienced an economic boom and urban expansion, presenting opportunities for AAPI individuals to pursue the American Dream. A significant influx of Asian immigrants began in the 1970s, with many settling in Monterey Park, dubbed the “Chinese Beverly Hills.” By the 1980s, more Chinese immigrants were moving to suburban towns instead of downtown urban areas.

In the 2022 census, cities in the San Gabriel Valley, previously showing high Asian population percentages, saw a diverse array of new residents, including Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese, and Koreans, with the Vietnamese community alone now constituting half of Los Angeles County’s population.

Though the San Gabriel Valley has become the fastest-growing AAPI suburban enclave, Los Angeles County includes numerous other thriving areas. Orange County boasts the largest Vietnamese community globally, while cities like Irvine and San Diego are home to around 50,000 Chinese residents each. Cities like Chino Hills and Cucamonga also have over 10,000 Chinese residents, and the same goes for Korean populations in cities like Placentia and Fullerton.

However, urban AAPI communities have encountered challenges. Koreatown, established in 1904, flourished in the 1970s due to significant immigration, with a population of about 88,000 by 1980. The 1992 riots severely impacted the neighborhood, destroying more than 2,300 businesses and straining interethnic relations. Fast forward 32 years, Koreatown is now a key player in Los Angeles’ economic landscape, housing nearly 23,000 Koreans, making it one of the largest Korean populations in the Greater Los Angeles area.

Beyond Koreatown, other Asian communities have evolved. Just four blocks away, Little Bangladesh grew from 1,300 residents in 2000 to three times that number by 2022. Thai Town remains the heart of the Thai community, with the Bangkok Market opening in 1972, predating other Southeast Asian markets in America.

California is home to three of the country’s remaining Japantowns, with Little Tokyo in Los Angeles being one of the oldest at 140 years this year. San Francisco’s Japantown claims to be the oldest and largest, while San Jose has its designated Japanese community area. However, the Japanese community suffered greatly during WWII, with many unable to return to their old neighborhoods after internment, losing numerous businesses in the process.

As Little Tokyo’s prominence waned, a new “Japantown” emerged in Sawtelle, originally a farming community established by Japanese immigrants. Today, Sawtelle, Westwood, Palms, Santa Monica, and Culver City have become hotspots for a diverse Asian population.

In West Los Angeles, East Asian and South Asian communities thrive, often populated by students from UCLA who eventually find work in nearby media and tech companies. South Asian businesses and restaurants are abundant along Venice Boulevard; the Indian population in Palms rose from 350 in the 1980s to 2,200 by 2022.

Torrance in the South Bay is a favored area for South Asians, home to around 11,000 Koreans and 15,000 Japanese residents, along with a growing number of Indian and Pakistani families. Artesia, known as Little India, began as a hub of Indian merchants in the late 1970s, located near Cerritos and featuring various Asian markets and restaurants. However, the demographics have shifted, with a significant portion of the area now primarily inhabited by Black residents.

Filipino communities initially settled in downtown Los Angeles before gradually moving to areas like Little Manila, which thrived in the 1920s. However, urban redevelopment in the 1950s diminished its prominence. Presently, the Filipino population in Los Angeles County is approximately 321,000, while San Diego County has about 147,000.

Cambodian residents first established their community in Long Beach, where around 15,000 still reside today. A significant influx of Cambodian students arrived in the United States in the late 1950s through the 60s, fleeing the Khmer Rouge regime. Cambodia Town was officially designated in 2007.

Polynesian communities are concentrated in cities like Carson, Long Beach, and Lakewood, which include Native Hawaiians and Samoans. Following World War II, many Hawaiians migrated to California, particularly to Los Angeles, a hub of popular music at the time. The 2020 census revealed that for the first time, the number of Native Hawaiians living on the mainland surpassed those in Hawaii, largely due to job shortages and high living costs.

Micronesians and Chamorros from Guam are also prevalent in Long Beach and San Diego. Despite over 30 AAPI groups being added to census categories since the 1980s, non-profit organization AAPI Data indicates that many ethnicities remain unrecognized. The organization’s founder, Karthick Ramakrishnan, emphasizes that without demographic data, the AAPI community struggles to gain political visibility and federal support.

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