Chinatown’s Cultural Influences

Chinatown’s Cultural Influences

In 1880s, Chinatown as a cultural landscape has been incepted in “Gold Rush” period in the American West and has been developed in North America ever since. Limited English proficiency, different cultural background with native Americans and convenience of living collectively impels the inception of Chinatown in San Francisco. Exotic architectures began to become Chinatown’s distinguishable feature while rebuilding it after a giant earthquake in San Francisco. Chinatown then not only services as centers of social, economic and cultural activities for Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans but also as tourist attractions. Nowadays, Chinatown involves into more forms of existence such as suburban-strip Chinatown. Flushing in New York and Quincy in Boston could be cases in point. Chinatown plays an important role in preserving valuable Chinese culture and bridging between Chinese and American cultural.

Throughout history, chinatown has various impact on Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans. First of all, early Chinatown provided a shelter for immigrants who were discriminated in mainstream American society. Second, Chinatown provided job opportunities for immigrants. In 1920s, thirty-seven percent of Chinese immigrants worked in laundry industry. Later, restaurants were Americanized to meet customer’s need and by doing so, restaurants expanded and in result provided more employment opportunities. Besides economic center, Chinatown also serves as an elusion to fool people into believing it is home. Last but not least, Chinatown works for a place for blooming communities, schools and newspapers where Chinese medicine, martial arts and so on so forth could be known and liked by American.

Key informant interview is conducted to elicit and compile information about the perceptions of Chinese immigrants to the impact of Chinatown on their lives. Lu is an employee that has been working in a Chinese restaurant for 12 years in Chinatown, San Francisco. His family all work in the same restaurant that is not very far away from their home. Their patterns of life haven’t been changed really much during the 12 years. During the interview, I’m under the impression that he is contented with his current life style and wouldn’t be willing to change in the future.