Chinatowns in The United States

Chinatowns In The United States

Chinatowns in the United States of America have existed since the 1840s on the West Coast and the 1870s on the East Coast. The Chinese were one of the first Asians to arrive in large numbers. Circumstances caused by the Korean and Vietnam wars, the 1965 Immigration Act, plus the desire for skilled workers caused more immigration from China and the rest of Asia. As of the 21st Century and for most of the history of the United States, the Chinese are the largest of the Asian groups. As other immigrants of other countries arrive, Chinatown, the oldest of the Asian ethnic enclaves has become a pattern for other Asian enclaves such as Japantown, Koreatown, and Little India. However, with the downturn of the U.S. economy and the rise of the Chinese economy, many Chinatowns in the U.S. have lost their initial purpose and started to decay with mass migrations back to China and the suburbs or have merely become historical centers and visitor attractions.