Little Saigon, Arlington, Virginia

Last updated

Little Saigon, Arlington, Virginia
Clarendon, Arlington, Virginia
USA Virginia Northern location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Little Saigon, Arlington, Virginia
USA Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Little Saigon, Arlington, Virginia
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Little Saigon, Arlington, Virginia
Coordinates: 38°53′12″N77°05′35″W / 38.88665°N 77.09315°W / 38.88665; -77.09315
Country Flag of the United States.svg  United States of America
State Flag of Virginia.svg  Virginia
County Flag of Arlington County, Virginia.svg Arlington
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
22201
Area codes 703 and 571

Little Saigon is the Vietnamese ethnic enclave in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, which served the large refugee population that immigrated after the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. One of many Little Saigons in the U.S., this neighborhood near Washington, D.C., became a hub of Vietnamese commerce and social activity, and reached its peak during the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The opening of the Clarendon station on the Washington Metro's Orange Line led to new development and higher rents; many businesses closed or moved, notably to the nearby Eden Center.

Contents

Influx of Vietnamese

Toward the end of the Vietnam War in the 1970s, immigration from Vietnam to the United States increased considerably. Before 1975, only about 15,000 Vietnamese immigrants lived in the United States. By 1980, about 245,000 Vietnamese lived in the U.S., with about 91 percent of the population arriving in the previous five years. [1]

Vietnamese immigrants fled their country in two distinct waves. The first large wave of immigration occurred in 1975 and included elites and highly educated residents who left with the fall of Saigon. [2] [3] Many left in fear for their lives or were escaping imprisonment as they had either worked for the former South Vietnamese government or supported the regime. For Vietnamese who lived through the war and under Communist control, many mistrusted banks and feared the volatility of paper money; keeping money in the form of gold or jewelry was common. [4]

From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, most refugees left Vietnam by boat. These refugees, commonly referred to as "boat people," were generally less educated than the previous wave of immigrants who had ties to the U.S. government or were Vietnamese elites. [2] An estimated 800,000 people fled Vietnam by boat between 1975 and 1995 and, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, between 200,000 and 400,000 boat people died at sea. [5]

The Washington metropolitan area was a desirable choice for Vietnamese immigrants to settle for several reasons. Many of the first-wave Vietnamese immigrants had ties to the U.S. government or the embassy. [2] Northern Virginia emerged as a suitable location within the region for resettlement for several reasons. Embassy officials pointed refugees toward Northern Virginia, and Arlington offered the availability of sponsors such as the Catholic Church. [2] Once the first wave of immigrants settled in Arlington, existing family and social ties established the network for future immigrants to join this population. By the end of the Vietnam War, 15%, or 3,000, of the nation's Vietnamese population resided in the Washington, D.C. area, [2] and many more joined. The most densely settled Vietnamese areas in Northern Virginia were along Wilson Boulevard and Columbia Pike, extending west towards Falls Church and Annandale.

Development in Clarendon

Nam-Viet Restaurant, seen in December 2021 Close-up view of the facade of Nam-Viet restaurant in Clarendon.jpg
Nam-Viet Restaurant, seen in December 2021

Until the mid-1900s, Clarendon was Arlington County's premier downtown shopping area and a bustling streetcar suburb. [6] However, during the 1960s and 70s, competition from regional shopping malls and strip shopping centers caused downtown Clarendon to decline. Many businesses relocated, leaving behind vacant storefronts. [2] The historic building stock suffered from neglect and by the mid-1970s, construction of the WMATA Clarendon Metro station began to tear up the streets and sidewalks. These conditions were conducive to cheap, short-term commercial leases, which the Vietnamese refugees seized as an opportunity to open businesses and support their families. In light of the Metro construction, rent fell as low as $1.50 to $5 a square foot in some buildings, [7] [8] making this area economically attractive for the recently immigrated population.

The first Vietnamese business, the Saigon Market grocery store, opened in 1972 by a former employee of the Vietnamese Embassy, and a second grocery store, Vietnam Center, was opened by the Vietnamese wife of a CIA employee. [2] Soon more Vietnamese people began to open shops and restaurants in Clarendon, and the area was transformed into the hub of the East Coast Vietnamese community. [3] Refugee assistance groups and churches organized trips that brought immigrants from Alexandria and elsewhere to Clarendon to shop. [2]

Shops opened to sell specialized goods to the Vietnamese community. Major attractions were the Vietnamese grocery stores, which sold ingredients unavailable in American markets. [9]

Little Saigon offered a variety of business types and styles. Some businesses developed the ambiance of a flea market or bazaar since it was common for multiple businesses to operate within a single building. My An Fabric store had multiple businesses within the same building, including a billiards and arcade game room and a small cafe Priest. [10]

Festivals and events were held throughout the year to celebrate holidays, such as the annual Moon Festival. [11] For 19 years, successful restaurateur Nguyen Van Thoi hosted an annual Tet dinner at his Nam Viet and My An cafes for American prisoners of war from the Vietnam War. [12]

Kim Cook established the Vietnamese Resettlement Association in Falls Church and Khuc Minh Tho founded the Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association. [2]

Vietnamese entrepreneurs faced many hurdles as they tried to achieve success in Clarendon. Because banks would not lend to them, Vietnamese entrepreneurs had to borrow money from friends and family to start their businesses, often at higher interest rates than what was commercially available. Some business owners experienced regulatory hurdles because they didn't understand the business licensing and regulations, and were fined. [7] To raise capital, some immigrants had to sell off much of their family's gold and jewelry. [7] One traditional Vietnamese lending practice known as "hoi" was a common funding tool. Hoi pools money from businesspeople in the community and distributes it to a member of the community in a monthly bidding process. The loan candidate who bids the highest interest rate for the entire pot gets the money. [4]

Over time, the Vietnamese-American business community increased its efficacy. For example, Toa Do, who worked his way up from his first American job as a messenger to a systems analyst and then an independent consultant, became the first Vietnamese person to have a seat on the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. [4] The Clarendon Vietnamese Retail Business Association was formed by Kham Dinh Do, proprietor of the Dat Hung jewelry store, who tried to organize the Vietnamese business community and advocate on behalf of their interests as Arlington County government was planning for the development of Clarendon. [13]

Decline

The neighborhood declined for several reasons. Many building owners did not spend money maintaining or updating their buildings because they were waiting for the Metro station to open and new economic opportunities to be realized through the redevelopment of Clarendon. [14] Development didn't increase significantly in Clarendon for the first few years after Metro opened in 1979. There were multiple small parcels of land held by absentee owners that made it difficult for developers to purchase areas large enough for the new, big projects that were envisioned. [15] On November 18, 1989, the Arlington County Board unanimously endorsed Clarendon's redevelopment plan, which envisioned high-rise commercial structures, mid-rise residential buildings, parks, and pedestrian walkways. [16] The plan also proposed incentives for constructing buildings lower than zoning code allowed and to carve out smaller-scaled commercial space for smaller-scaled businesses. [16]

Eventually, rents began to increase in Clarendon (up to $25–30 a square foot in some commercial buildings), and Vietnamese were displaced from Arlington. [3] [8] The Vietnamese population that settled in the garden apartments of Arlington moved westward, with many settling around Seven Corners, as well as Falls Church near the intersection of Graham Road and Arlington Boulevard. [3] Vietnamese-American residents had dispersed from Arlington along with the Vietnamese-American businesses. By 1984, 60% of Vietnamese-Americans lived within three miles of Seven Corners. [3]

Gradually, the number of Vietnamese businesses in Little Saigon contracted. In 1989, the Clarendon Alliance, a business association, noted that of the 76 businesses in Clarendon, between 30 and 35 were Asian-owned, and among those, most were Vietnamese-owned. [7] The establishments ranged from food markets, real estate and insurance agencies, law and accounting firms, and restaurants and retailers. [7] That same year, the Mekong Center grocery store, the Pacific Oriental Department Store, the My An 1 restaurant and the Alpha Camera repair shop left the Hartford Building, which was then demolished. The My An fabric store relocated from the building before it was demolished since the owner anticipated changes in Clarendon with the plan for high-density development. [7]

Business remained steady for the establishments that remained, although the once-large crowds of Vietnamese customers dwindled, and the neighborhood's value as a community meeting ground had dissipated. [8] Author Alan Ehrenhalt points out that for the economically struggling Clarendon of the 1960s, "it was immigration that brought those old buildings to life... The vacant storefronts brought the Vietnamese in and set the whole process in motion. It may seem a bit ironic that the way to bring in more affluent white newcomers is to lay down a base of poorer people from other countries. But that is exactly what happened in Arlington". [6]

The decline of Little Saigon was noticeable. A letter to the editor of the Washington Post lamented the small business culture that was fading from Clarendon. The writer recognized the contributions of the Vietnamese people and the diversity they brought to Arlington. [16] County planners explained that the government discussed plans for many years that would turn Clarendon into a higher-density, mixed-use corridor that would have larger development projects and bigger retail spaces. [17] Planners noted the current change and inevitability of pressure on the small businesses from development. [17] Long-time customers and business owners have mixed sentiments about the end of Little Saigon. Some business owners expressed resentment and frustration that they were being pushed out. [7] Other business owners were able to relocate to shopping centers that offered better parking and maintained properties. [14]

Efforts were made to retain the ethnic small business community, although they weren't endeavored until after the predominant decline of Little Saigon. In 1993, Arlington County published a bilingual (English and Vietnamese) guide to starting a business in Arlington, which was targeted to Vietnamese business people. Arlington County has since initiated ongoing small business assistance through the Economic Development Authority, which is a recommendation in the 2006 Clarendon Sector Plan. [18]

The Clarendon neighborhood in 2014 has become mostly a mix of retail, bars and restaurants, increasing residential, and office uses. The development subsequent to the decline of Little Saigon typically has larger footprints, such as 3,000 square feet, which typically are not suitable for small, independently owned businesses. [19] As of 2014, the Nam Viet restaurant is the only Vietnamese business remaining from the original Little Saigon community, and Four Sisters is a Vietnamese restaurant that opened since the decline of Little Saigon.

Eden Center

Eden Center Eden Center.jpg
Eden Center

In 1984, the Eden Center shopping mall in the Seven Corners area of Falls Church opened, bringing 20,000 square feet of affordable retail space to the area. [20]

In 1997, 32,400 square feet was added to the Eden Shopping Center, as well as an iconic clock tower, and at the time it was the largest Vietnamese shopping district in the U.S. [20] [21] The Eden Center became a hub of Vietnamese commerce and activity. In 2007, "Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon," a traveling Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center exhibit, was temporarily located in Eden Center to tell the story of the Vietnamese American immigration and acclimation experience in America. [22] The Eden Center is now regarded as the central place for Vietnamese services and goods in Northern Virginia, as well as the entire East Coast. [3] [23] In 2014, the Eden Center was home to 120 stores and restaurants, almost all of which were Vietnamese.

Preservation work

In 2014, the Arlington County Public Library, local historians, and master's degree students from Virginia Tech’s Urban Affairs and Planning Program (National Capital Region) collaborated on a project to collect the stories [24] of the Vietnamese community who immigrated to, shopped at, or owned businesses in Arlington's Clarendon neighborhood when it was known as "Little Saigon" during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Directed by Dr. Elizabeth Morton, a student team conducted oral histories, and participants donated photographs and multimedia, which have since been archived at the Arlington County Library's Center for Local History. Numerous members of the Vietnamese-American community participated in this project to share their memories and input on this culturally significant ethnic enclave. The student team recommended the creation of a historical marker or monument to commemorate Little Saigon and recognize the contributions of the Vietnamese refugees to Arlington's heritage and business community.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatown–International District, Seattle</span> Historic district in Washington, United States

The Chinatown–International District of Seattle, Washington is the center of the city's Asian American community. Within the district are the three neighborhoods known as Chinatown, Japantown and Little Saigon, named for the concentration of businesses owned by people of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese descent, respectively. The geographic area also once included Manilatown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnamese Americans</span> Americans of Vietnamese birth or descent

Vietnamese Americans are Americans of Vietnamese ancestry. They comprise approximately half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American ethnic group following Chinese Americans, Filipino Americans, and Indian Americans. There are approximately 2.2 million people of Vietnamese descent residing in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Saigon</span> Ethnic enclaves of expatriate Vietnamese in some cities

Little Saigon is a name given to ethnic enclaves of expatriate Vietnamese mainly in English-speaking countries. Alternate names include Little Vietnam and Little Hanoi, depending on the enclave's political history. To avoid political undertones due to the renaming of Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City, it is occasionally called by the neutral name Vietnamtown. Saigon is the former name of the capital of the former South Vietnam, where a large number of first-generation Vietnamese immigrants arriving to the United States originate, whereas Hanoi is the current capital of Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eden Center</span> Shopping mall in Virginia, United States

Eden Center is a Vietnamese American strip mall located near the crossroads of Seven Corners in the City of Falls Church, Virginia. Eden Center is the largest Vietnamese commercial center on the East Coast, and the largest Asian mall on the east coast of North America. The city's Economic Development commission considers it the city's top tourist destination. The center is home to more than 120 shops, restaurants and businesses catering extensively to the Asian American, especially the Vietnamese-American, population. Eden Center has created an anchor for Vietnamese culture serving the Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and Pennsylvania areas, as shown by the large number of phở soup restaurants, bánh mì delicatessens, bakeries, markets, as well as Vietnamese-American cultural events that are regularly held at the center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia</span> Neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, United States

Crystal City is an urban neighborhood in the southeastern corner of Arlington County, Virginia, south of Downtown Washington, D.C. Due to its extensive integration of office buildings and residential high-rise buildings using underground corridors, travel between stores, offices, and residences, it is possible to travel much of the neighborhood without going above ground, making at least part of Crystal City an underground city.

Oklahoma City's Asia District, also known as the Asian District, is the center of Asian culture and International cuisine and commerce in the state of Oklahoma. It contains the largest population of Asian Americans and descendants from Asia in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatowns in Europe</span>

Urban Chinatowns exist in several major European cities. There is a Chinatown in London, England, as well as major Chinatowns in Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Liverpool. In Paris there are two Chinatowns: one where many Vietnamese – specifically ethnic Chinese refugees from Vietnam – have settled in the Quartier chinois in the 13th arrondissement of Paris which is Europe's largest Chinatown, and the other in Belleville in the northeast of Paris. Berlin, Germany has two Chinatowns, one in the East and one in the West. Antwerp, Belgium also has an upstart Chinese community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian supermarket</span> Type of grocery store found in Western countries

In non-Asian countries, an Asian supermarket largely describes a category of grocery stores that focuses and stocks items and products imported from countries located in the Far East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bánh mì</span> Vietnamese bread or sandwich

In Vietnamese cuisine, bánh mì or banh mi is a short baguette with thin, crisp crust and soft, airy texture. It is often split lengthwise and filled with savory ingredients like a submarine sandwich and served as a meal, called bánh mì thịt. Plain bánh mì is also eaten as a staple food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarendon, Arlington, Virginia</span> Neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia

Clarendon is an urbanized, upper-class neighborhood in Arlington County, Virginia, located between the Rosslyn area and the Ballston area. It was named after Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, a leading statesman and historian of the English Civil War. The main thoroughfares are Wilson Boulevard and Clarendon Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Vietnamese</span> Diaspora community of Việt people

Overseas Vietnamese refers to Vietnamese people who live outside Vietnam. There are approximately 5 million overseas Vietnamese, the largest community of whom live in the United States.

City Heights is a dense urban community in central San Diego, California, known for its ethnic diversity. The area was previously known as East San Diego. City Heights is located south of Mission Valley and northeast of Balboa Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westover, Arlington, Virginia</span> Neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia

Westover is a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia on the National Register of Historic Places centered on Washington Boulevard between North McKinley Road and North Longfellow Street. A true model of mid-century Urbanism, Westover remains a pedestrian friendly neighborhood which sees its residents walk to shops, work, and public transportation. The neighborhood is between the Ballston Station and the East Falls Church Stations, both part of the Washington DC Metro and is serviced by many Metro Buses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Vietnamese Americans in Houston</span> Ethnic groups local history

This article discusses the history of Vietnamese Americans and Vietnamese immigrants in Houston, Texas, and its environs. Vietnamese immigration has occurred in Greater Houston, including Fort Bend County and Harris County, since 1975, after the Vietnam War ended and refugees began coming to the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Saigon, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, United States

One of the largest Vietnamese neighborhoods in Philadelphia, United States is located in Passyunk Square, a neighborhood in South Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Saigon, Orange County</span> Neighborhood in Orange, California, United States

The Little Saigon district straddling the cities of Garden Grove and Westminster in Orange County, California is the largest Little Saigon in the United States. Saigon is the former name of the capital of the former South Vietnam, where a large number of first-generation Vietnamese immigrants originate.

There is a large Ethiopian American community in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. According to the Embassy of Ethiopia, this was the largest ethnic Ethiopian community outside of Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnamese Americans in Boston</span> Ethnic group

There is a Vietnamese American population in Boston. As of 2012 Boston has the largest group of ethnic Vietnamese in the state. Other groups of Vietnamese are in Braintree, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Quincy, Randolph, Revere, and Weymouth. Vietnamese also live in more distant cities in the Boston combined statistical area and the area around Boston: Attleboro, Brockton, Fall River, Haverhill, Methuen, Lowell and Worcester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Saigon, San Jose</span> Neighborhood of San Jose in Santa Clara, California, United States

Little Saigon is a neighborhood of San Jose, California, located in East San Jose. It is a hub for Silicon Valley's Vietnamese community and one of the largest Little Saigons in the world, as San Jose has more Vietnamese residents than any city outside of Vietnam. Vietnamese Americans and immigrants in San Jose make up ten percent of the city’s population and about eight percent of the county and South Bay Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian Garden Mall</span> Shopping mall in Westminster, California

Asian Garden Mall, known in Vietnamese as Phước Lộc Thọ, is a shopping center in Westminster, California. Opened in 1987, Asian Garden Mall is the first and largest Vietnamese-American shopping mall and is seen as a symbol of the community. The mall is located at 9200 Bolsa Avenue, serving as the focal point of Little Saigon in Orange County and is the site of many cultural and political events in the Vietnamese-American community.

References

  1. Barringer, Herbert, Robert W. Gardner, and Michael J. Levin. 1996. Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 46
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 O'Connell, Kim A. 2003. "Catching Two Fish With Two Hands: Preserving Vietnamese Heritage in Virginia's Little Saigon". Goucher College.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wood, Joseph. 1997. Vietnamese Place Making in Northern Virginia. Geographical Review. 87 (1): 58-72.
  4. 1 2 3 Workman James A. 1993 "Vietnamese Business Owners Make Indelible Mark." Washington Business Journal. September 17–23
  5. Vo, Nghia M. 2005. Vietnamese Boat People, 1954 and 1975-1992. McFarland & Company: North Carolina
  6. 1 2 Ehrenhalt, Alan. "The Great Inversion." Vintage Books: New York. 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Arnett, Elsa (September 4, 1989). "Arlington Losing Ethnic Flavor; Construction Displaces Vietnamese Businesses." The Washington Post: a01.
  8. 1 2 3 Drummond, Ayers Jr. (November 6, 1989). N.Y. Times News Service. Daily Press: 04.
  9. Davis, Melissa. 1980. "Take the Orange Line Over to Little Saigon." The Washington Post, January 17: E1.
  10. Dana. "Arlington's Boulevard of Contrasts; Asian Shops Share Wilson Strip With Ballston Commons." The Washington Post. 11 May 1987: d01.
  11. Jordan, Mary. 1991. "Moon Festival Shines on Vietnamese Culture." The Washington Post. September 23: d01.
  12. Estrada, Louie. 2005 "Nguyen Van Thoi Dies; D.C. Area Restaurateur." The Washington Post December 31: B.04.
  13. Hsu, Evelyn. 1989. "Plan Would Reshape Clarendon With High-Rises, Old Facades;Proposal to Preserve Ethnic Shops, Restaurants Eases Merchants' Fear of Being Forced Out of `Little Saigon.'" The Washington Post. November 18: b01.
  14. 1 2 Currier, Julie. 1990. "Exodus of Vietnamese Businesses from Arlington Precedes Area Redevelopment." Washington Sun. June 21.
  15. Priest, Dana. "Arlington's Boulevard of Contrasts; Asian Shops Share Wilson Strip With Ballston Commons." The Washington Post. 11 May 1987: d01.
  16. 1 2 3 Mathews, Marylyn P. (September 11, 1989). "Goodbye, Little Saigon." The Washington Post: pg. A10
  17. 1 2 Fischer 2006
  18. Arlington County. 2006. “Clarendon Sector Plan.”
  19. Hart, Kim. 2006. "More Urban, Less Village; Thriving, Growing Clarendon Risks Losing Its Offbeat Edge." November 3: D.1.
  20. 1 2 Stadtmiller, Mandy. 1997. "Mini-mall on the Mend: Eden Center in Falls Church Expands, Renovates, and Cracks Down on Crime." The Washington Post. October 16. Pages 1, 4
  21. Nguyen, Lan. 1996. "Eden Center to Double in Size." The Washington Post. February 22. Pg. 3.
  22. CNN. 2007. “Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon.” Archived 2014-12-24 at the Wayback Machine Newsroom.
  23. Meyers, Jessica. 2006. "Eden Center as a Representation of Vietnamese American Ethnic Identity in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, 1975–2005." Journal of Asian American Studies. 9.1: 55-85
  24. "New Echoes of Little Saigon StoryMap!". littlesaigonclarendon.com.