Chinese Enclaves in The San Gabriel Valley

Chinese Enclaves In The San Gabriel Valley

Chinese Ethnoburbs in the San Gabriel Valley are a vital demographic component of the region and the San Gabriel Valley has achieved international prominence as a hub of overseas Chinese or hua qiao. Although Chinese immigrants were a noteworthy presence in the establishment of Southern California from the 19th century, significant Chinese migration to suburban San Gabriel Valley began following the White Flight beginning in the 1970s, well-educated and affluent Asian Americans began settling in the west San Gabriel Valley, primarily to Monterey Park.

An Ethnic enclave is a subdivision of an American city with more layers present than is immediately obvious. The ethnic enclaves on the United States have always been a place where immigrants can be in a world in which they are comfortable, because they are surrounded by people of the same culture and ethnicity. This is a place where new immigrants can build their own place when moving to America or any other country and build their own foundation.

High property values and overcrowding in Monterey Park have contributed to a secondary movement away from Monterey Park and it is now included in a cluster of cities, in the west San Gabriel Valley with a growing Asian population. Suburban cities in the valley with large ethnic populations, also called ethnoburbs, include Alhambra, Arcadia, Rosemead, San Marino, San Gabriel, South Pasadena, and Temple City and then eastward to Diamond Bar, Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, and Walnut. Numerous Chinese-speaking, both Mandarin and Cantonese, businesses were established in these suburbs to accommodate the shift in demographics.