Which is larger in the Houston Area: Vietnamese or Chinese communities? (Bellaire: taxes, restaurants)

[NJ Brazen_3133]

I just visited your nice city. I went to Bellaire Blvd, and it seems split right down the middle by Sam Houston Tollway with Chinatown on the east side, and Little Saigon on the westside.

Which actually is larger in number? Which asian subgroup would be third in terms of population?

Also funny thing I have noticed is it seems the chinese were actually once prominent on the westside of the Sam Houston Tollway. There are lots of storefronts with Chinese monikers like the Hong Kong food market. I walked in there, and it had lots of chinese decor, and food items. It is however run by vietnamese speaking immigrants. I am guessing, they bought out the chinese. There were also many signs on that side of Bellaire Blvd that had chinese language characters on them. But almost all the people in the parking lot were speaking vietnamese.

[JL]

I haven't kept in touch for a while, but the Vietnamese population is larger. The Chinese community will likely grow faster and population eventually pass the Vietnamese community. There are quite a few Chinese/Vietnamese("cholon" vietnamese as some of the old folks call it) people in Houston.

[ipuck]

I believe the west side of BW8 have always been Chinese/Vietnamese like JL said. They are chinese immigrants that move or born in Vietnam and probably identify more as Vietnamese than Chinese. That is why you see Chinese signs but they all speak Vietnamese.

Houston is the 2nd or 3rd largest Vietnamese community in US after LA and Bay Area.

Chinese population have exploded here the last 10 years. Just like most immigrant friendly city, it follow a pattern of slow trickle of chinese and then mass migration where one relative come first and become successful, then friends and family come afterward and a network is established.

It also helps there have been plentiful jobs and COL is relatively low compared to the other immigrant friendly city like LA or NY.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by JL

I haven't kept in touch for a while, but the Vietnamese population is larger. The Chinese community will likely grow faster and population eventually pass the Vietnamese community. There are quite a few Chinese/Vietnamese("cholon" vietnamese as some of the old folks call it) people in Houston.

Dont think thats going to happen. Vietnamese population is growing faster than the Chinese population in Houston. Not the case in any other metro area except Houston and DFW, but it is that way here.

[ipuck]

Originally Posted by peterlemonjello

Dont think thats going to happen. Vietnamese population is growing faster than the Chinese population in Houston. Not the case in any other metro area except Houston and DFW, but it is that way here.

That will absolutely happen. There are 11x more chinese people than vietnamese people and the trend is already happening. Houston was not a first stop immigrant city for Chinese till recently and especially now there is enough Chinese here to create that immigrant supoort network to move here.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by ipuck

That will absolutely happen. There are 11x more chinese people than vietnamese people and the trend is already happening. Houston was not a first stop immigrant city for Chinese till recently and especially now there is enough Chinese here to create that immigrant supoort network to move here.

When Houston starts to attact more Chinese than Vietnamese, we can have the conversation about when it will happen.

[Dopo]

Why is it that nobody ever asks Chinese immigrants to "assimilate" and instead encourage them to build China towns?

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Originally Posted by ipuck

I believe the west side of BW8 have always been Chinese/Vietnamese like JL said. They are chinese immigrants that move or born in Vietnam and probably identify more as Vietnamese than Chinese. That is why you see Chinese signs but they all speak Vietnamese.

Funny, because I think all the chinese vietnamese in NYC can speak cantonese. I have been in some vietnamese restaurants in chinatown, and Flushing, and I hear the waiters speaking cantonese.

And also, the old chinatown, where they built the BBVA Compass Arena, was that cantonese or originally also vietnamese?

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Why is it that nobody ever asks Chinese immigrants to "assimilate" and instead encourage them to build China towns?

They can collect taxes. It is niche market, so the more businesses, the more revenue stream, the more money the government can collect.

[marcopolo2000]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Why is it that nobody ever asks Chinese immigrants to "assimilate" and instead encourage them to build China towns?

hmm.... Interesting isn't it? .