There are Chinatowns all around the world. They exist on all six inhabited continents and are an extension of China and Chinese culture. There are a total of 35 Chinatowns with the majority being in the United States.
The fact that Chinatowns are quite prevalent in the U.S. is no coincidence. The majority of emigrants from China and other East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea immigrate to the United States. Most notably during the period of mass migration to the U.S., many Asian immigrants found themselves passing through immigration inspection stations at Ellis Island near New York City or Angel Island near the San Francisco Bay Area. They then settled in their own distinct neighborhoods in New York City and San Francisco.
The “Great American Melting Pot” is a term used to exemplify the mix of all the different cultures that comprised the American experience. The center of cultural diversity was none other than New York City.
When people think of New York City, they instinctively think of Manhattan. But, in actuality, the island of Manhattan is only one of the five boroughs that make up the City of New York. In decreasing population they are: Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Manhattan is only 22.82 of the 302.6 square miles that make up NYC. There are actually three main Chinatowns in the city with many more “satellite” Chinatowns as well. In this article we’ll cover two main Chinatowns and a Chinatown satellite.
Manhattan Chinatown
This is the most famous Chinatown. It is directly off the Manhattan Bridge and its borders are Canal St. to the west, Grand and Hester St. to the north, Rutgers St. to the east, and Henry St. and Hogan Pl. to the south. This small area of only a couple blocks is the most concentrated collection of Chinese people in the U.S. with a population of 150,000. The majority of Manhattan Chinatown residents are Cantonese or Taiwanese speakers. The heart of this neighborhood is Mott Street. It is considered “The Main Street of Chinatown” and runs directly through the center of Chinatown. It is lined with tea shops, souvenir stores, and restaurants that all cater to tourists seeking the Chinatown experience. One particular landmark, the 32 Mott Street General Store, had opened in 1891 and was the longest operating storefront in Chinatown until it closed following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks in 2001.
Flushing Chinatown
This Chinatown was originally a satellite of the original Manhattan Chinatown. With time, Flushing Chinatown eventually grew its own completely independent cultural identity. This Chinatown in Queens actually has a larger population than the one in Manhattan. The main part of Flushing Chinatown is centered around the intersection of Kissena Blvd., Main St., and 41st Ave. in Flushing, Queens. This is already the largest NYC Chinatown and is growing at an astronomical rate. This Chinatown, like most Chinatowns is a great place to go to get a feel for the Chinese-American experience. From food to entertainment, Flushing Chinatown is perfect for everyone!
Elmhurst/Corona Chinatown
The historical success of Flushing Chinatown has prompted the growth of other satellite Chinatowns in the area west of Flushing, namely Elmhurst and Corona. The Elmhurst Chinatown is considered by some to be a separate fourth Chinatown while others believe it’s an exclave of the Flushing Chinatown. Its relative proximity to cultural and population centers in Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, and Rego Park place it in the perfect location to attract people of all backgrounds to experience Chinese culture for themselves!
The Chinatown experience is something that was integral to my childhood and is still a huge part of my life today! The fact that there is a physical embodiment of my family’s history and culture just a short 20-30 minute drive away is fantastic! I love visiting Manhattan, Flushing, and Elmhurst Chinatown any chance I get to and will surely continue doing so for the rest of my life! If you’ve never visited any Chinatown, I strongly suggest that you do! You should do yourself a favor and find out what you’re missing out on!
Sources:
https://www.nycgo.com/photo-galleries/new-yorks-three-big-chinatowns
Second Picture: By Yanping Nora Soong at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46979092
It’s cool to read about these particular Chinatowns since I’m actually pretty familiar with them. Since my family has deep Taiwanese roots, we visit the Taiwanese portion of Manhattan Chinatown quite often. Walking down those streets, you can hear Taiwanese dialect being spoken which I speak at home and with my extended family. The food in Chinatown is also amazing with a lot of traditional dishes that can only be found there. Being so close to Chinatown is also a huge advantage!
This is really interesting to read about the Chinatown that is in NYC. I’m really surprised that NYC Chinatown is growing at an astronomical rate. I mean the greatest population in the world are Chinese people. When I was in Chinatown walking through the streets most of the time I only see Asians walking up and down the streets.
This was a very interesting article! I had no clue that there are 35 Chinatowns all around the world! I’ve been to all three of the Chinatowns in New York and there’s always a ton of people walking around. I go to Flushing every weekend and there’s always new things to discover there!
Great job! It’s amazing that there are so many Chinatowns in New York. I think that it’s great that there is so much Chinese culture and influence in this state. Next time I go to any of these Chinatowns, I’ll think about all the history behind it. I’ll be sure to visit the landmark, the 32 Mott Street General Store next time I’m in Chinatown Syosset.
This article is actually really interesting and informative at the same time. I used to live near a Chinatown, so reading this article brings back a lot of memories. Chinatowns are one of the places that I would love to continue to visit. It’s very surprising that to hear that there are so many places sharing both Chinese history and culture. Great job!
Nice article! I didn’t know that there were 35 Chinatowns on Earth. My grandparents and cousins live in Chinatown, so I visit the place every once in a while. It’s insane how the population of the Flushing Chinatown is growing so rapidly. I learned that the Flushing Chinatown was at first a satellite of the Manhattan Chinatown.
Great Article! I love Chinatown and I go there often. I had no idea about the history of these china towns though. Great article but you seem to be missing a Chinatown though. I grew up in Brooklyn and there is a Chinatown there, it is in 8th Avenue, it is not as big as the other China towns so that is why you might not have written about it but there are as much people there as there is in Manhattan Chinatown.
I have been to most of these China towns. Over the summer, I was in Flushing Chinatown almost everyday for summer school. There is so much delicious and cheap food in Flushing Chinatown. The only downside is the large amount of traffic. Great article, I’m going to have to visit the Elmhurst Chinatown soon.
I have been to both the Flushing and Manhattan Chinatown, but I must say that as a kid, going to the Manhattan Chinatown brings back major memories compared to Flushing. I remembered an old cake place, Kam Hing that we would always go to as a kid. I have not ever been to Elmhurst, but it is pretty cool to see the amount of diversity within these 3 Chinatowns.
the different china towns mentioned in this article are extremely nice to learn about. the most common one i often visit is the one in Manhattan since my mom works there. since a part of my life was growing up in china town i always thought of it as a small area but little did i know its huge. it was also fascinating learning how diverse these areas are with culture.
This article was very interesting to read! I never knew that there are 35 Chinatowns arond the world. I grew up near the Flushing Chinatown, and it’s great to read about how it’s growing at an astronomical rate! I still visit the Flushing Chinatown often, and have been to the Manhattan Chinatown before, but I’ve never been to the Elmhurst Chinatown. It’s interesting how these Chinatowns are all filled with so much culture.
Very interesting article about the different Chinatowns in New York City! This article did a wonderful job clarifying the different boroughs of New York as well as the Chinatowns in them. I had no idea there were multiple Chinatowns, but it turns out there are major Chinatowns and satellite Chinatowns within New York City! I always love going to Chinatown to get a taste of different Chinese foods and buy Chinese snacks. When you go to Chinatowns, they are a very different experience: a mix between Chinese and American culture.
Being a frequenter of Flushing, NY – I am both familiar and still fascinated by the dense amounts of culture and features of Chinatowns. My personal favorite part of going to Chinatowns is the abundances of good food, drinks, and snacks; they are cheap yet absolutely delicious! The article only makes me wish to visit them even more. I can definitely affirm that Flushing is an ideal spot for good eats!
Wow what an interesting read. I’ve never knew that there were 35 chinatowns in the United States. Also, I’ve always knew that there were three locations for chinatown in New York City but I’ve never knew that the Manhattan one was significantly more popular than the flushing one and the corona one.
Great article! I had no idea that there was 35 Chinatowns around the world. It’s crazy how fast the fast the population in flushing’s Chinatown is getting.
Although I have been to the Flushing Chinatown, I have never been to to the one in Elmhurst. Its very cool and interesting to see the diversity and culture behind each one.
Great article! My parents work in flushing (chinatown). Therefore, I have been there thousands of times. It is soo cool that there are many ethnic islands/cities still today. Some other ones include the Harlem and little Italy!
This article was very entertaining and informative. I really liked how you incorporated your own story when talking about China Town. It made the article more interesting. I also never knew that there were so many China towns throughout the world. After reading this article I think I might visit one some time soon.
This article was very interesting to read. I can’t believe there are thirty-five Chinatowns in the world. I’ve been to all three of these NYC Chinatowns. Flushing is definitely a lot different from Manhattan’s Chinatown. I love how all three towns embrace the culture beautifully. Wonderful article, Nicholas!
This article was very informative. I had no idea that Chinatowns were all over the world. I was shocked to read that they’re located on 6 continents and that a total of 35 exist in the world. I’ve never heard of the term “Great American Melting Pot” before. I had no idea that there were 3 main and other satellite Chinatowns even though I’ve been to all of the ones that you mentioned. I was surprised to learn that 150,000 people live in Manhattan Chinatown and even more people live in the Flushing Chinatown. Great article!