Boundaries and communities of the San Gabriel Valley (Los Angeles, Glendale: zip code, design)

[Maliblue]

Originally Posted by mba2k

What.

Well I guess all Asians are Chinese just like all Hispanics are Mexicans to some people.

Mandarin-speaking Chinese are overwhelmingly the majority Asian group in SGV. In very distant second place are Cantonese-speaking Chinese (who actually have been here longer, in most cases). In third place, far behind the first two, are Vietnamese of Chinese heritage.

Comparatively, very few Asians from Japan or Korea reside in the SGV (those who do are clustered around Rowland Heights, where Chinese are an overwhelming majority as well; there is a sizable Korean community in Fullerton as well, which isn't SGV but is close to it). Overall, their numbers are negligible among Asians in SGV. I think if you asked anybody from Asia what ethnicity is predominant, they'd tell you Chinese.

Not every comment addressing race is intended in a racially insensitive way. However, if one is to discuss the demographics and social dynamics of the San Gabriel Valley, we can't simply ignore reality. It is part of our home town, after all.

The comment that seems to have offended you, noting that certain cities have become "Chinese or Asian", does not strike me as an offensive thing to say and should not be taken as such. I would describe much of the SGV as "Chinese or (other) Asian" and be quite accurate. I wish people wouldn't get so offended at the mere mention of race or demographics; how can we discuss it rationally if people are so easily offended?

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Originally Posted by mba2k

What.

Well I guess all Asians are Chinese just like all Hispanics are Mexicans to some people.

I wrote "or asian". No need to get thong in a bunch.

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Originally Posted by mba2k

Another question, do you see the problem with this other part of that guy's nonsense quote?

It is really not that triggering, really

[Maliblue]

Originally Posted by mba2k

Just curious, but do you know where Garden Grove or Westminster are, what majority Asian ethnicity lives there, and when they came?

If you did, you would understand that the comment I quoted was completely factually incorrect. Has nothing to do with being offended. It has to do with making at least a halfassed attempt to be accurate.

Another question, do you see the problem with this other part of that guy's nonsense quote?

Yes, I realize those cities are not in SGV. I am not defending the guy's post, but I was trying to say that if people freak out by things like "Chinese or Asian" or even referring to all Hispanics as "Mexican", it shuts down discussion when it could be an opportunity to educate instead.

Here's something else about race to consider. If I showed a Mexican-American, Chinese-American, and African-American a photograph of myself with friends from Russia, Sweden, The Netherlands, South Africa, and Francophone Canada and asked them to identify our races, they'd say "white guys".

But what does that mean? I have far less in common with a white South African or Swede than I do with a Chinese or African American. We don't even have a language in common, which non-Mexican Hispanics do. White people aren't all the same either.

I apologize if I sounded a little out of line, I didn't mean it that way (frankly, I hate discussions of race because every word always has to be chosen so carefully). Maybe I shouldn't have jumped on you considering the somewhat off-topic quality of the post you were replying to.

I just get frustrated sometimes because I find that a lot of people (not you) get weirdly offended whenever the issue of Chinese immigration into the SGV comes up, even though it is the single most transformational force to affect the San Gabriel Valley since the end of the Mexican-American war.

Anyway, maybe that is my own knee-jerk hangup. I'll lighten up; obviously a forum like this has persons from all walks of life and I really don't wish to offend anyone.

[Maliblue]

Originally Posted by mba2k

You do realize that your analogy is completely broken, right?

You are trying to equate the umbrella term of "white guys" to to describe Canadians, swedes, dutch, etc as being the same as using the term "Mexican" to describe Guatemalans, cubans, colombians, etc.

Do you really not see how these are completely different?

How is it different? If I see a Mexican, Salvadorean, Puerto Rican, and Honduran and lump them all together as "Hispanic" or mislabel them as all "Mexican" aren't I guilty of false assumptions, stereotyping, lack of knowledge, and laziness in my categorization?

Those nationalities do share a language, and to some degree share physical features.

How is it at all different from any one of them assuming "white" people are all the same generic thing? Yes, we share some physical features, and if we are American, we share a language. But we are not all the same, just as Hispanics and Asians are not all the same. Other ethnic groups often lump whites all together; people do that. I don't always take it as racial when it happens, but it can be.

This is why most racial stereotypes (and arguments) are stupid.

I'm really not sure what is wrong with this analogy. It is simply an inverse of "all Hispanics are indistinguishable": "all whites are indistinguishable"

Once again, I literally could not give 2 ****s about Chinese in the SGV.

Well, sorry. This is a thread about the San Gabriel Valley. So I'm not really sure why we're discussing this at all then.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Maliblue

How is it different? If I see a Mexican, Salvadorean, Puerto Rican, and Honduran and lump them all together as "Hispanic" or mislabel them as all "Mexican" aren't I guilty of false assumptions, stereotyping, lack of knowledge, and laziness in my categorization?

Those nationalities do share a language, and to some degree share physical features.

How is it at all different from any one of them assuming "white" people are all the same generic thing? Yes, we share some physical features, and if we are American, we share a language. But we are not all the same, just as Hispanics and Asians are not all the same. Other ethnic groups often lump whites all together; people do that. I don't always take it as racial when it happens, but it can be.

This is why most racial stereotypes (and arguments) are stupid.

I'm really not sure what is wrong with this analogy. It is simply an inverse of "all Hispanics are indistinguishable": "all whites are indistinguishable"



Well, sorry. This is a thread about the San Gabriel Valley. So I'm not really sure why we're discussing this at all then.

What's wrong is they are not all Mexicans: Mexican are Hispanics, but Hispanics are not all Mexicans. If you can't understand this; try talking to a Puerta Rican and refer to him as a Mexican.

[Taiko]

Originally Posted by nmnita

What's wrong is they are not all Mexicans: Mexican are Hispanics, but Hispanics are not all Mexicans. If you can't understand this; try talking to a Puerta Rican and refer to him as a Mexican.

However this is a Los Angeles question , not a general American question. You will have to work very hard to find any Latino enclave beyond Mexican and Salvadoran. So do people get upset if the default guess is Mexican or Chinese in most of the San Gabriel Valley? Only if they are looking for a fight

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Taiko

However this is a Los Angeles question , not a general American question. You will have to work very hard to find any Latino enclave beyond Mexican and Salvadoran. So do people get upset if the default guess is Mexican or Chinese in most of the San Gabriel Valley? Only if they are looking for a fight

lets just say, I have lived in many states: CA. NM and Texas with a high Histanic population. Also lived in SGV when Asians first started moving in in large numbers;, as well as areas like Torrance and in all cases, a person who is Asian but not Chinese does not want to be called Chinese and the same with Hispanic countries.

[RevPhil]

Norwood Village traditionally was primarily that area North of Lower Azusa Rd. and about 1/2 mile South, both East and West of Peck Rd. (East to the River and West to Driftwood Dairy.) Originally, the only school in the area was Cherry Lee. It was an unincorporated part of the Los Angeles County until annexed by El Monte. In the 50's and early 60's, many (if not most) were still on community wells for their water supply. That was brought into the El Monte Water District when the area was annexed.

[sll3454]

[quote=mrsltd;44070390]

Originally Posted by Joe Van Fossen

Wikipedia can be weird sometimes, though. What's Hillgrove? And didn't know El Monte had its own section specifically titled "North El Monte", unless that was in reference to Norwood Village.

City-data itself has a "North El Monte" with a population of about 3700. Some people claim they live in North El Monte because they think there is a stigma associated with El Monte. However, you are right; there is no North El Monte.