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View Full Version : Ethnic Enclaves in the City (of Phoenix and Beyond)


PHX31
Jun 15, 2007, 6:08 PM
Ethnicities congregating together in certain sections of the city has always interested me. Most mountain west cities, how they are built and how they sprawl, aren't really condusive to having highly concentrated "Chinatowns" or "Little Armenias" in the traditional sense, but they could pop up in strip malls or over a wider area as similar ethnic businesses and people work and live together.

So, I wonder, does anyone know of an area that has become or is becoming a "insert country here-town" or at least highly concentrated in one ethnicity?

From my knowledge some I've noticed in the Phoenix metro area include:

1. Mexicans/latinos: Of course entire swaths of much of the city of Phoenix are predominantly Mexican or Latino. Miles could go by with only seeing spanish business signs or Latinos walking and driving around. One interesting area I read about was that Oaxacans are congretating in sections of Sunnyslope. Sunnyslope itself is predominantly hispanic, but it was interesting to read that many families and people from the Mexican state of Oaxaca have started to bring their Oaxacan lifestyles and traditions together. Aside from that, there are many "Little Sonoras" or "Little Mexicos" (or in some cases "Big Mexico") everywhere, so much so that it's not even "Little Sonora" its just "Phoenix".

2. Vietnamese: I went to eat some Pho at Da Vang (resturant on 19th Ave and Campbell) last weekend and noticed a bunch of Vietnamese signs and businesses. The strip mall Da Vang is in had all Vietnamese businesses from what I could tell, including a real estate office, and video store, etc. But starting further north at 19th Ave and Camelback (where Pho Bang is located in that Asian strip mall), down to Indian School and 19th Ave, I noticed a couple areas of business with predominately Vietnamese signs. Also, I believe to the west at 35th Ave and Indian School/Grand there is another whole set of Vietnamese businesses. Little Saigon anyone?

I know Chandler and parts of the southeast valley have become highly concentrated Asian areas as compared to other parts of the valley due to the Motorolas and Intels of the world.

Anyone else notice other areas of certain ethnicities/countries in Phoenix or beyond?

HX_Guy
Jun 15, 2007, 6:30 PM
The north an northwest parts of Phoenix have a large population of Romanians. There aren't many actual business locations, but there are several big churches as well as a restaurant at 35th Ave and Greenway. I know a lot of Romanians that live west of I-17 and north of the 101 in the Glendale and Peoria areas.

Here is one of the chruchs near 35th Ave and the 101...

http://www.arizonaro.com/stjohn/Images/c0401012.jpg

Comrade
Jun 15, 2007, 6:30 PM
I can only guess that beyond means other Mountain West cities, no?

It's a shame Salt Lake didn't do a better job at preserving its ethnic communities back in the day. There was a Japantown, Greektown (it was, at one point, the largest Greektown west of the Mississippi, as we have a fairly large Greek population here) and of course Little China, which was right downtown, but was demolished for a damn parking structure.

Today it's all unofficial of course, but I think western Salt Lake City, around 900 West, has become Little Mexico. Most businesses in Rose Park, Glendale and Poplar Grove are entirely Hispanic and obviously the population there is heavily tilted toward Hispanics. While there are Hispanics outside of western Salt Lake, that's typically the area they dominate. Unlike Central City, SugarHouse, the Avenues or the downtown neighborhoods, which are a mix of whites, blacks, Asians and Hispanics.

Then there's Little Bosnia, which is home to Salt Lake's growing Bosnian population. This area was under the eye of the national media when Sulejman Talovic shot up Trolley Square Mall in central Salt Lake, killing 5 people earlier this year.

Swedetown is probably Salt Lake's oldest ethnic neighborhood. It was built earlier in the 20the Century just north of downtown and now is pretty much a dump. All that's really there today is a strip club, a bar, a church (which is abandoned) and some homes. Here are some photos I took a few years ago:

http://images.fotop.net/albums/Sean84106/swedetown/2004_0612Image0001.jpg

http://images.fotop.net/albums/Sean84106/swedetown/2004_0612Image0002.jpg

http://images.fotop.net/albums/Sean84106/swedetown/2004_0612Image0004.jpg

http://images.fotop.net/albums/Sean84106/swedetown/2004_0612Image0007.jpg

http://images.fotop.net/albums/Sean84106/swedetown/2004_0612Image0011.jpg

http://images.fotop.net/albums/Sean84106/swedetown/2004_0612Image0012.jpg

http://images.fotop.net/albums/Sean84106/swedetown/2004_0612Image0015.jpg

http://images.fotop.net/albums/Sean84106/swedetown/2004_0612Image0014.jpg

http://images.fotop.net/albums/Sean84106/swedetown/2004_0612Image0032.jpg

http://images.fotop.net/albums/Sean84106/swedetown/2004_0612Image0029.jpg

That's pretty much it, I guess.

soleri
Jun 15, 2007, 7:09 PM
I grew up in Sunnyslope, which was its own little town prior to absorbed by Phoenix in 1959. In the late 70s, part of it (near Mountain View & 15th Avenue) became known as Little Saigon for all the Vietnamese refugees. The major wave of Mexican immigration pretty much washed that away, but you can still see a few traces.

I'm not sure about this, but is there a Polish enclave in north central Phoenix? There's a Polish Catholic church on 7th St just north of Rose Lane and a Polish deli, The European Pastry Cafe, on 16th St north of Maryland. If you like looking at jars of pickled herring with Polish labels, that's your place.

Generally, the churches and the restaurants will give you the clues if there are ethnic concentrations here and there. Over time, they will tend to dissipate as these ethnicities assimilate but then newer immigrant populations might begin to replace them.

And we shouldn't forget the most intact ethnic enclave of all, Guadalupe. It's not Mexican but Yaqui Indian and remarkably preserved.

Locofresh55
Jun 15, 2007, 7:16 PM
Tucson pretty much has two sides of the city. On one side (mainly east side, south east and north east) you have predominantly white folks with occasional hispanic family (myself included as a latino). But you go into south central tucson (to include the city of south tucson) and then further west, and you have predominantly mexicans and even native americans into the mountains of tucson (Tohono O'odham reservation is pretty much southwest of Tucson). Also, towards the foothills and Oro Valley is mostly white. Mainly in Tucson once you hit I-19 and cross over towards the west....it's mainly Mexicans. I'll have to go about town and take some pictures.

Locofresh55
Jun 15, 2007, 7:18 PM
West phoenix is pretty much Mexico. My dad lives near 51st and Thomas and all the stores and restaurants around there are all spanish (mexican). I love it since I"m mexican but my wife was a little uneasy at first (she's japanese and she didn't know what to expect). That side of town is mainly mexicans and blacks (moreso mexicans now).

combusean
Jun 15, 2007, 7:31 PM
There's a neighborhood called Dutchtown in Phoenix near 35th and Northern named for a whole bunch of dutch (german too?) immigrants that was platted in 1957.

http://156.42.40.50/PlatTif/081/081P1901.tif

PHX31
Jun 15, 2007, 7:39 PM
How could I forget Guadalupe? It's definitely like its own little world down there. Travelling up and down Priest from Baseline Rd to Elliot Rd, not only does Priest Dr turn to Avenida Del Yaqui back to Priest Dr, but the environment completely changes then changes back.

Also, you're right about West Phoenix. It's such a large area... and the same (Mexico) can be said for south phoenix, central phoenix, east phoenix, etc..

Buckeye Native 001
Jun 15, 2007, 7:42 PM
There's a Chinese cultural center/shopping mall off the 202 between Van Buren and McDowell along 40th Street. I don't know if that counts as an ethnic enclave, per se?

combusean
Jun 15, 2007, 7:45 PM
I also hear Russian spoken frequently around the Biltmore. The "lost boys of Sudan" are opening a church south of downtown. I have also noticed African immigrants along other parts of the central corridor about as far north as Midtown.

CANUC
Jun 15, 2007, 7:52 PM
^Yeah, there is a large concentration of Somolian and African refugees in the apartment complex along 40th Street north of Van Buren. Many have obtained service type jobs at local eateries and retails stores along Thomas Road between 40th and 38th Streets. Although I don't know how stationary this population will remain.

kevininlb
Jun 15, 2007, 8:34 PM
This doesn't fit neatly into one distinct group, but there's quite a bit of Europe popping up on Cave Creek, north of Cactus/Thunderbird. There's a new European market and some nice, cool, not exactly easy to find authentic bakeries.

HooverDam
Jun 15, 2007, 9:10 PM
There seems to be a Korean area on the West Side of Phoenix, Im forgetting exactly where, but I remember I went out there one time to try a Korean restaurant, and we saw 2 or 3 others on our way.

Also out near Tatum & Bell a lot of Indians (the ones from India) seem to be popping up. Apparently a lot of them work at the American Express center thats there on 56th Ave. Its certainly still predominantly white, but I certainly see a higher concentration of Indians there than in other parts of the cities.

You said that its due to sprawl that racial neighborhoods don't seem to happen in Mountain West cities and I think thats only part of the case. I think it may also be part of the times. Are new racial neighborhoods popping up in any US cities very often? It just sort of seems to me that perhaps immigrants aren't doing this as much as they did in the past. I haven't really done any research on this though, it just sort of 'seems' that way.

PHX31
Jun 15, 2007, 9:18 PM
Yeah, I kind of meant that because of the sprawl the racial neighborhoods and business conglomerations arean't as apparent. Where as if you had more dense, urban neighborhoods and especially street-front retail-type buildings, all of the signs and store fronts would be that much closer together/obvious that you're in an XXXXX-part of town. But you're probably right.