# Chinatowns **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2010, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161 "2010-11-10T12:22:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/1 "2010-11-10T12:22:15Z")
What is the largest U.S. city without a Chinatown? ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/2 "2010-11-10T12:37:58Z")
I’m sure we’re not the largest without one, but we can work by elimination: Charlotte, NC does not have one (the last time I looked Charlotte was around 20th in size.) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/3 "2010-11-10T12:39:58Z")
According to Wiki, the U.S. Chinatowns are in: San Francisco New York City Manhattan Flushing Brooklyn Boston Philadelphia Washington, D.C. Los Angeles Edmonton Chicago Detroit Houston Seattle The largest US Cities are: New York Los Angeles Chicago Houston Phoenix Philadelphia San Antonio San Diego Dallas San Jose So, if Wiki is to be believed, the largest US city without a Chinatown is Phoenix. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/4 "2010-11-10T15:51:55Z")
Largest cities in size or population? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/5 "2010-11-10T16:03:40Z")
St. Louis had a small Chinatown (probably more like a Chinablock) but it was knocked out as part of urban renewal in the 1950s-60s. I’d imagine there were a lot of cities with a lot of ethnic neighborhoods with similar fates. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/6 "2010-11-10T16:11:10Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Largest cities in size or population? My list was largest city by population. If we do largest city by size (area) it would be Yakutat, Alaska. In fact, the largest city (by area) to have a Chinatown (according to Wiki) would be Houston, which is the 10th largest city by area. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/7 "2010-11-10T16:29:41Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > St. Louis had a small Chinatown (probably more like a Chinablock) but it was knocked out as part of urban renewal in the 1950s-60s. I’d imagine there were a lot of cities with a lot of ethnic neighborhoods with similar fates. Count DC in that category. Our Chinablock is becoming less Chinese (and less Asian overall) every year - it’s just about as common to refer to it as Gallery Place as Chinatown. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/8 "2010-11-10T16:54:04Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Largest cities in size or population? Why would you ever go by land area when asking a question like this? A city, in a social sense, is its people, not its artificially drawn municipal boundaries. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/9 "2010-11-10T17:01:38Z")
Singapore has a Chinatown. I love that. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/10 "2010-11-10T20:31:16Z")
Cleveland (the 43rd-largest U.S. city) has a small Chinatown, too: [http://www.cleveland.com/heritage/index.ssf?/heritage/more/chinese/chinese1.html](http://www.cleveland.com/heritage/index.ssf?/heritage/more/chinese/chinese1.html) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/11 "2010-11-10T20:49:56Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Largest cities in size or population? Population. As usual, size doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/12 "2010-11-10T20:53:13Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Cleveland (the 43rd-largest U.S. city) has a small Chinatown, too: [http://www.cleveland.com/heritage/index.ssf?/heritage/more/chinese/chinese1.html](http://www.cleveland.com/heritage/index.ssf?/heritage/more/chinese/chinese1.html) I remember going to a Cleveland Chinatown when I was a kid, back in the 50s. This was the first Chinese food I ever ate, since there were no other Chinese restaurants in the area. I was hooked. (And back then, Cleveland was the 6th largest U.S. city!) ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/13 "2010-11-10T21:03:28Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > So, if Wiki is to be believed, the largest US city without a Chinatown is Phoenix. Phoenix at least has a China-block/mini-mall: [http://www.phxchinatown.com/](http://www.phxchinatown.com/) It doesn’t look like there’s one in San Antonio, though, so if we’re counting China-blocks that’s probably the answer. Also, Edmonton is going to be alarmed to learn it has one of the US’s Chinatowns! ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/14 "2010-11-10T21:05:25Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > > [@kunilou](#): > > > > St. Louis had a small Chinatown (probably more like a Chinablock) but it was knocked out as part of urban renewal in the 1950s-60s. I’d imagine there were a lot of cities with a lot of ethnic neighborhoods with similar fates. > > Count DC in that category. Our Chinablock is becoming less Chinese (and less Asian overall) every year - it’s just about as common to refer to it as Gallery Place as Chinatown. But DC’s Chinatown has never been _razed_, right? The Chinese have never been pushed out en masse by sudden radical changes? I took that to be **kunilou** ’s meaning. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/15 "2010-11-10T21:07:39Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > … > > So, if Wiki is to be believed, the largest US city without a Chinatown is Phoenix. You’re not going to get a definitive answer, as you won’t get agreement as to what constitutes a “Chinatown”, but I’d go with this. If you are going to argue that cultural centers and areas predominantly occupied by businesses catering to Chinese people constitute a “Chinatown”, maybe places like Phoenix, San Antonio and San Jose have them. But they are NOT classic “Chinatown” enclaves ala New York, SF or Oakland. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/16 "2010-11-10T21:22:43Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > But DC’s Chinatown has never been _razed_, right? The Chinese have never been pushed out en masse by sudden radical changes? > > I took that to be **kunilou** ’s meaning. Most of DC was razed in the 1968 riots. Chinatown itself never resembled downtown Beirut so much as, say Columbia Heights did, but it was never the same. The sizable Chinese community living there before then fled to the 'burbs en masse. The Metro station there didn’t even mention Chinatown in its name until 1986. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/17 "2010-11-10T22:28:18Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Most of DC was razed in the 1968 riots. Chinatown itself never resembled downtown Beirut so much as, say Columbia Heights did, but it was never the same. The sizable Chinese community living there before then fled to the 'burbs en masse. The Metro station there didn’t even mention Chinatown in its name until 1986. The first sentence of this posting has to be one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever seen on a SDMB. If I had to estimate how much of Washington was damaged in the 1968 riots (and I was there), I would say less than 1%. The damage was pretty much confined to the 14th Street, NW corridor and the H Street, NE corridor. Chinatown was almost totally unaffected. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/18 "2010-11-10T22:37:01Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Population. As usual, size doesn’t matter. As a gay man you know that ain’t so [But you do get points for the best response so far] ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/19 "2010-11-10T23:27:39Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > According to Wiki, the U.S. Chinatowns are in: > San Francisco > New York City > Manhattan > Flushing > Brooklyn > Boston > Philadelphia > Washington, D.C. > Los Angeles > Edmonton > Chicago > Detroit > Houston > Seattle > > The largest US Cities are: > New York > Los Angeles > Chicago > Houston > Phoenix > Philadelphia > San Antonio > San Diego > Dallas > San Jose > > So, if Wiki is to be believed, the largest US city without a Chinatown is Phoenix. Detroit has a Chinatown?? Mexicantown, check. Greektown, check. but _Chinatown?_ mmm ETA: Wiki says Detroit’s Chinatown is ‘historic’, so I nominate Detroit as the largest city without a Chinatown. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161/20 "2010-11-10T23:44:33Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Detroit has a Chinatown?? Mexicantown, check. Greektown, check. but _Chinatown?_ > > mmm > > ETA: Wiki says Detroit’s Chinatown is ‘historic’, so I nominate Detroit as the largest city without a Chinatown. Except that Detroit is smaller than Phoenix. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinatowns/560161.md?page=2)