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Basically, a city where the Asian population may or may not be big, but usually big, may be diverse as in different types of Asians and not just mostly one, and is pretty connected with the non-Asian population and most people Asian or not have an Asian friend or someone they are around they like or respect enough. A city where the Asian population also is less bubbled, and yes, that means us being less clicky too in a way.
I post this as an Asian American guy. I was born in Santa Rosa and have family all around the Bay area, so that may be it. San Francisco has a large Chinese population and it's definitely intertwined but I know it can be cliquey from my experience with Asian friends, family and people I've met or known around the Bay. As in, having very tight-knit Asian groups and not that many friendships and laughter outside of them. This can include American-born or raised people. The Asian population is a melting pot in terms of financial, jobs and ways of living in SF especially moreso than most places in America probably. My family is pretty centered in Santa Rosa, San Jose, Sac areas.
LA and Seattle I've been to and both I know have big Asian populations around them but I never saw too many outside of the cultural districts or Chinatown type areas, or a certain suburb like those east of East LA. Like I'd say LA's seemed more divided in terms of any race and from what I hear online that the Asian population is less intertwined. I did feel stupid spending $50 on an anime DVD in Seattle's Japantown which looked nice on screen but because also I lost it. I will note Seattle's Chinatown/Japantown area was very multiculturally Asian which was kinda cool.
I also hear about NYC and Boston and maybe some city in Texas like Houston have pretty strong Asian communities which are diverse and seem to be more traditional, have long histories being in said cities. Asian people especially Chinese and Koreans like to bounce around both coasts whether for college, work, or family, and then often come back to their homestate or somewhere closer to family.
People want to be Americans and just being ourselves individually too, but we are usually part of some kind of community and we do, like everyone else, face racism. But where is it where it's just kinda considered cool or at least interesting to be an Asian dude breakdancing at a club or being an edgy gutter punk who tagged an alleyway once. Or not being afraid to bring chopsticks to school or work for lunch. Or that the Asian people also are very eager to not be in a bubble all the time.
My limited experience is that Texas in general and Houston in particular are very comforting and welcoming to any immigrant social presence. Maybe Chicago, too, but a bit more clustery.
Certainly not the most, but I'll just mention the NE Atlanta metro. Lots of Indians and Koreans in particular, integrated into the general metro area. I'm speaking about places like Duluth, Suwanee, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Cumming, East Cobb
In the Seattle area the Asian population by census tract peaked around 60% in 2020, but most tracts had at least high single digits and large swaths were 20%+. Our dot maps are heavily mixed, vs. the stratified places like NYC and LA.
Asian mayor-elect (Taiwanese), 11.3% of the city (by far the highest of any major eastern city not named NYC) and a relatively low-income (55k median income, 25% poverty), or at least bifurcated, Asian population that has ties to both the white community (colleges/downtown) and the black community (Dorchester) but votes in line with the city's Hispanics. Their own strong and authentic Chinatown.
Asians who live in wealthy Western suburbs (Chinese and Indian) but also Asians who live in predominately black and Latino suburbs like Randolph MA (Vietnamese) and Lynn/Revere MA (Cambodian)
The western parts of northern nj out by Princeton, Flemington and the Bridgewater area. (cebtral jersey?). And Morris County.
Northh Jersey, like NYC, is very segregated off. Asian areas with little integration.
North NJ is so dense though a place like Fort Lee is effectively integrated with a yhe dozens of tiny adjacent communities and is relatively racially mixed anyway.
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