Little Saigon - Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City has a significant Vietnamese American business district and ethnic neighborhood located in the center part of the city. While it is officially known as Asia District by the city, due to the abundant Asian diversity of the neighborhood (similar in many respects to International District in Seattle), much of the original Little Saigon portion centers along Military Dr. and NW 25rd St. between N. Classen Blvd. and N. Shartel Ave.

Tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees were relocated to Oklahoma City during the 1980s. Over time, they have established businesses in a gentrified area to the west of the Uptown NW 23rd and Classen Blvd. business districts and the area begun to be known as a Little Saigon.

The original Little Saigon area features numerous phở cafés, Vietnamese bakeries and restaurants, and Asian supermarkets. There are also numerous hopping nightclubs, karaoke, and videobars joining the growing list of Chinese, Thai, Filipino, and Korean residents and establishments that make up the remainder of surrounding Asia District.

The district is very popular with local residents and students from nearby Oklahoma City University providing a colorful and authentic taste of the far east without leaving the heartland of America. Oklahoma City's original Little Saigon neighborhood was featured in the New York times as well as National Geographic's March 2003 issue's ZipUSA series titled "73106: Lemongrass on the Prairie".