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Koreatown

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 96.242.217.91 (talk) at 02:01, 21 May 2012 (Undid revision 493453120 by 99.234.236.72 (talk) incorrect - it's Washington, D.C., but that's not what this article is about anyway). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Koreatown marker in Los Angeles
Korea Way on 32nd Street in Manhattan's Koreatown, 2009.
Koreatown
Hangul
[코리아타운 or 한인타운 or 한인촌 or 한인마을 or 한인동네 or 한인거리 ] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Hanja
[코리아타운 or 韓人타운 or 韓人村 or 韓人마을 or 韓人洞네 or 韓人거리 ] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Revised RomanizationKoriataun or Hanintaun or Haninchon or Hanin Ma-eul or Hanin Dongne or Hanin Geori
McCune–ReischauerK'oriat'aun or Hanint'aun or Haninch'on or Hanin Maŭl or Hanin Tongne or Hanin Kŏri

Template:Contains Korean text Koreatown (Korean: 코리아타운) is a term to describe a Korean ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area. Similar terms may include Little Seoul or Little Korea.

Asia

China

Koreatown in the Wudaokou neighborhood in the Haidian district of Beijing
Beijing

There are more than 200,000 Koreans living in Beijing. Prominent areas include Wudaokou (Chinese: 五道口; pinyin: Wǔdàokǒu; [오도구 Odogu] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)), and Wangjing. There are two Koreatowns in Beijing, the bigger Korean enclave is located in Wangjing in the Chaoyang district. There are many Korean companies who have established their businesses in Wangjing. Primarily a family-oriented area, Wangjing also has an all-Korean international school(all grade levels) located in the Wangjing vicinity. Many of the Korean businesses in Wangjing cater towards families, businessmen, students and tourists with restaurants, bath houses/spas, bookstores, clubs/bars, golfing and Korean banks all in the area. (Chinese: 望京; pinyin: Wàngjīng, [망경 Manggyeong] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)). Although Wangjing is known as a Korean district, there is also a great number of Chinese-Koreans and North Koreans as well who live and coexist with South Korean nationals. It is often difficult for foreigners to distinguish between the North and South Koreans, as well as Chinese-Koreans from the local population. Lotte Mall is also located in Wangjing. The second Koreatown, Wudaokou, is located in the Haidian district which is where most of the city's universities are located. Because of the vibrant university scene in Wudaokou, there are many Korean college students who live and attend universities in this area. Although the Korean districts are on different ends of the city, Wangjing and Wudaokou is connected by subway line 13. [1]

Qingdao

100,000 Koreans live in Qingdao, Shandong Province.

Shenyang

Shenyang has a large Koreatown known as Xita/Seotap (Chinese: 西塔, Korean: 서탑) meaning Western Pagoda. Both North and South Korea have consulates in Shenyang but in different districts.

Shanghai

65,000 Koreans live in Shanghai. Longbai in the Minhang district, to the west of the city, has a Korean oriented neighborhood.

Indonesia

A 31,000 m2 Koreatown block is being constructed on north Jakarta Pulomas. Upon its completion, it will be the first artificially-made Koreatown in the world with 7 blocks and 9 buildings.[2]

Koreans in Indonesia number approximately 40,000, which makes Indonesia the 12th largest country with Koreans living outside of Korea.[3]


Japan

A kimchi shop in Tsuruhashi, Osaka

During the 1910 to 1945 colonial period, approximately 2.4 million ethnic Koreans immigrated to Japan for economic reasons, though some brought over forcibly during the Second World War to work as laborers. While most departed after the war, still many chose to remain, and were joined in the 1950s by a wave of refugees from Jeju Island. Today, Koreans, known as Zainichi Koreans (Korean: 재일 조선인, who on paper retain the nationality of the old Korea) or Zainichi Koreans (Korean: 재일 한국인, who have adopted South Korean nationality), are the largest ethnic minority in Japan, amounting to 620,000 in 2002. Those with North Korean ties are a key source of remittances to North Korea. There is a separate group of more recent migrants from South Korea with strong links to their home country, and there is a considerable cultural gap between these so-called "newcomers" and the Zainichi Koreans.

Osaka

The Korean enclave in the city of Osaka, numbering over 90,000, is by far the largest in Japan, concentrated in the Ikuno Ward, where 25% of the inhabitants are of Korean origin. Tsuruhashi in the Ward is the most famous Koreatown in Japan and is dominated by Jeju Islanders. Imazato-Shinchi is an area increasingly dominated by recent South Korean "new-comers". The total Korean population in Osaka prefecture amounted to 150,000 in 2002.

Tokyo

According to official statistics in 2002, the Korean population in Tokyo amounted to 80,000, which was the second largest following that of Osaka.

Unlike other Japanese Koreatowns, the Korean-oriented commercial district around Shin-Okubo Station in Shinjuku Ward developed after World War II, and is dominated by "new-comers" - recent immigrants from South Korea who have retained their ethnic and cultural identity, as can be seen from the ubiquitous signs written in hangul. Other immigrants from China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and various other nationalities makes this one of the most colourful and multicultural areas in Tokyo.

The area around Mikawashima station on the Jōban Line, to the north of the city, is a Koreatown dominated by Zainichi immigrants from Jeju island.

Also noteworthy is a smaller-scale Zainichi Korean quarter to the southeast of Ueno station, and to the southwest, a community of South Korean "new-comers".

Kyoto

A small Koreatown has developed in the Gion neighborhood (the Geisha district) of Kyoto.

Shimonoseki

Green Mall in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi is a Koreatown. It is also known as "Little Pusan" partly because of the Kanpu ferry that goes to Pusan.

Kazakhstan

See also: Koryo-saram § Central Asia


Singapore

Main article: Koreans in Singapore

There is a little Koreatown in the Upper Bukit Timah area due to the number of Koreans living there.[4]


Vietnam

Hanoi

Main article: Trung Hoa Nhan Chinh

The new business center of the city at Trung Hoa Nhan Chinh is sometimes referred to as the local Koreatown with a significant South Korean population.[citation needed]

North America

Canada

Toronto, Ontario

Toronto, Ontario, Canada's Korean Business Area, is composed of the retail businesses along Bloor Street between Christie and Bathurst Streets in the Seaton Village section of The Annex.[5] The adoption of a more liberal immigration policy by the Canadian government in 1967 led to an influx of Korean immigrants, many of whom settled in the Toronto area. Indeed, Toronto has the largest single concentration of Koreans in Canada with almost 50,000 living in the city, according to the 2001 Census.[6] Many of them settled in the Bloor and Bathurst area, and before long, a small Korean business neighbourhood emerged along Bloor Street, centred around the intersection of Bloor and Manning Avenue. Restaurants, bakeries, gift shops, grocery stores, and travel agencies began to open up, most of which catered to the Korean-Canadian community. Today, although many Koreans work in the region, very few Koreans actually live there. An influx of Latino immigrants is changing the demographics of the area today.

United States

Annandale, Virginia

Koreatown in Annandale, Virginia[7][8][9] starts at the intersection of Little River Turnpike and Hummer Road, runs for 1.5 miles to the turnpike's intersection with Evergreen Lane, and provides a hub for the 93,787 individuals of Korean descent residing in the Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV Combined Statistical Area, as estimated by the 2009 American Community Survey.[10] According to the Boston Globe, over 1,000 Korean-owned businesses are in Annandale. They cater to Koreans as well as non-Koreans. Businesses and establishments include accountants, banks, bakeries, billiards, bookstores, churches, college preparatory classrooms, cybercafés, department stores, newspapers, optometrists, real estate offices, restaurants and salons.[11]

Bergen County, New Jersey

Main articles: Koreatown, Palisades Park and Koreatown, Fort Lee

Broad Avenue, Koreatown in Palisades Park, Bergen County, New Jersey,[12][13] where Koreans comprise the majority (52%) of the population.[14][15]

The two most prominent Koreatowns in Bergen County[16] are centered along Broad Avenue in Palisades Park[17] and Leonia and around the intersection of Main Street and Lemoine Avenue in Fort Lee, both close to the George Washington Bridge connecting Bergen County's growing Korean population[18][19][20] of 56,773[21] across the Hudson River to New York City. Along with Koreatowns in New York City, the Bergen County Koreatowns serve as the nexus for an overall Korean American population of 201,393 individuals in the Greater New York Combined Statistical Area,[22] the second largest population of ethnic Koreans outside of Korea.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood has been referred to as Chicago's "Koreatown" since the 1980s.[citation needed] The majority of Korean shops in Albany Park can be found along Lawrence Avenue (4800 North) between Kedzie (3200 West) and Pulaski (4000 West). This particular section of Lawrence Avenue has been officially designated by the city of Chicago as "Seoul Drive" because of the multitude of Korean-owned enterprises on the street. Although many of the Korean Americans in the neighborhood have been moving to the north suburbs in recent years, it still retains its Korean flavor. Every year there is a Korean festival, and the neighborhood is home to a Korean television station (WOCH-CA Ch. 41) and radio station (1330 AM) as well as two Korean-language newspapers. There are still many Korean businesses interspersed among the newer Mexican bakeries and Middle Eastern grocery stores. Approximately 45% of the businesses on this particular stretch of Lawrence Avenue are owned by Korean-Americans.[23]

Dallas, Texas

A sizable Koreatown can be found in Dallas, though this mostly commercial area of the city has not been officially designated as such.[24] Dallas has the largest Korean American community in Texas and second (to Atlanta) in the Southern US. Instead, large signs situated at the intersection of Harry Hines Boulevard and Royal Lane proclaim the area as the Asian Trade District. The signs also feature depictions of a red and blue "taeguk," a symbol that is prominently featured on the national flag of South Korea, thereby acknowledging the specifically Korean affiliation of the district. This area in the northwest part of the city is characterized by a large number of Korean-owned businesses serving the city's sizable Korean American community. Although, Korean business is undoubtedly the most dominant in the area, there are isolated Chinese and Vietnamese businesses as well.

Aurora, Colorado

Metro Denver’s most distinct, though not officially designated, Korean neighborhood lies in Aurora, immediately east of Denver. The stretch of Parker Road roughly between I-225 and East Jewell Avenue is largely commercial in nature and is dotted with Korean supermarkets, restaurants, and shops. Much of the business signage displays both English and Korean, though some businesses exclusively display Korean characters. Though many Koreans and Korean Americans do live in the vicinity, the district also serves as a regional center of Korean products and culture for the entire Front Range, and is home to several Korean-language newspapers.

Los Angeles, California
Main article: Koreatown, Los Angeles, California

The Greater Los Angeles Area is home to the largest number of ethnic Koreans outside of Korea. Koreatown is an officially recognized district of the city and contains probably the heaviest concentration of Korean residents and businesses. However, when the term "Koreatown" is used it usually refers to a larger area that includes the adjacent neighborhoods of Wilshire Center, Harvard Heights and Pico Heights. Koreans began to move into the area in the late 1960s after changes in the US Immigration laws, establishing numerous businesses although never outnumbering Latino residents. In the aftermath of the 1992 riots, Koreatown entered into a period of development, especially during the 1994 Asian Market Crisis as South Korean investors look to invest in the then-profitable California real-estate market. Scholars, such as UCLA sociologist Kyeyoung Park, refer to Koreatown as a "corporate boomtown" in the aftermath of redevelopment. As a result of the redevelopment, however, Koreatown has slowly become more and more gentrified, creating a large divide between the affluent upperclass Korean residents and the underprivileged Latino and Korean communities. Furthermore, recent media has portrayed Koreatown as a "24-hour entertainment enclave" due to the large influx of high-end spas, shops, and night clubs.

New York City
Main article: Koreatown, Manhattan
Congregating in Manhattan's Koreatown

Koreatown is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, generally bordered by 31st and 36th Streets and Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenues. It is this neighborhood, near Herald Square, which is usually named Manhattan's Koreatown, or nicknamed K-Town. The core of this Koreatown is located on 32nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway and is formally known as "Korea Way."

New York City's residential Korean American population is most highly concentrated in the borough of Queens. Northern Boulevard in Queens is an extended Koreatown strip that stretches east from Flushing through Bayside and into Great Neck, New York in suburban Nassau County on Long Island. Union Street between 35th and 41st Avenues in Flushing is the central business district of this Koreatown.

There is a strip of Korean stores and restaurants along East 204th St in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. Koreans live in the neighborhoods of Bedford Park, Pelham Parkway, Riverdale, Woodlawn, and Norwood.[25]

Oakland, California

The largest concentration of Korean businesses and community services in the San Francisco Bay Area is centered on Oakland's Telegraph Avenue between 20th and 35th Streets between Downtown Oakland and the Temescal district. Roughly 150 Korean-owned businesses are located in the neighborhood. This segment of Telegraph Avenue is lined with bright banners proclaiming the district as "Koreatown-Northgate" with the slogan "Oakland's got Seoul," and accompanied by an annual cultural festival. Officially named "Koreatown-Northgate", the area was characterized by urban decay before Korean Americans began opening businesses and reviving the area in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Before 1991, the area was characterized by homelessness and crime and was known as the Northgate district. There has been criticism from the non-Korean residents about the city officially naming the district Koreatown, mostly from the African American population who form the majority in the area. Despite Korean Americans owning much of the property in the neighborhood, the largest group of residents still remains African American.[26] Tensions remain between African Americans and Koreans in the neighborhood, which has witnessed declines in both populations. Despite some Koreans continuing to move into the neighborhood, the majority of the Bay Area's Korean population is concentrated in the suburbs surrounding Oakland and in the South Bay.

South America

Argentina

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires's 'Barrio Coreano' is in the neighborhood of Flores, specifically in the south of this neighborhood. The primary artery of the district is Carabobo Avenue, which houses various Korean businesses and organizations, including restaurants, beauty salons, a Korean school (Instituto Coreano Argentino) and churches, among others. In recent years, there has been a huge move from the Bajo Flores towards the Avellaneda Avenue, the reason being the increasing theft and insecurity around the slums close to Av. Castanares. What some might call these days "The New Koreatown" has been increasing in size at a faster rate while the shops in Av. Carabobo have been closing. [27] There are over 22,000 Koreans in Argentina, most of them in Buenos Aires, where the Asian population is around 2.5%.[28]

Brazil

São Paulo

Brazil has several Korean enclaves but, recently a Koreatown was formed in Bom Retiro a densely populated area of Brazil's biggest city, São Paulo. The Korean consulate in Brazil said that the municipal government in São Paulo has designated Bom Retiro as 'Koreatown' and has passed an ordinance that will see the city provide administrative and financial support to the new community. The Korean consul general in São Paulo said that the town will be turned into a special Korean economic and cultural district which will help attract tourists from around the world and will further promote Korean culture in Brazil.

Chile

Santiago

The Korean population of Santiago is mostly concentrated in Patronato. Currently, approximately 3000 Koreans live in Chile. The Korean community is well organized and united. Colonia Coreana organizes several events annually. Among these events are: soccer tournaments, Korean festivals, and the annual Mr. and Ms. Patronato.[29]

Oceania

Australia

Sydney

Sydney's primary Koreatown is located in the heavily immigrant populated neighbourhood areas of Strathfield, Eastwood and Campsie, which is home to The Sydney Korean Society. These suburbs and surrounding areas are famous for their Korean population which have created a strong cultural identity for the community. These areas are home to a number of Korean speaking businesses and retail stores which include Korean restaurants, DVD stores, supermarkets, hairdressers and cafes.

Other important Korean commercial areas are located the northern Sydney suburbs of Epping and Chatswood. The intersection of Bathurst Street and Pitt Street in Sydney's Central Business District is also becoming a popular area for Korean commercial activity which once again include restaurants, karaoke, supermarkets and hairdressers.

Australia's Korean population is estimated to be around 150,000.

Melbourne

Melbourne's de facto[30] Koreatown is concentrated around the vicinity of La Trobe Street.

See also

References

  1. ^ Kim, Kiho. "Koreatown Grows in District of Beijing". Arirang News. Arirang News.
  2. ^ "Tempointeraktif.com - Investors to Advance Funds at Korea Town in Jakarta". Tempointeractive.com. 2008-09-13. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  3. ^ Rumah123.com - Berita seputar Rumah123.com
  4. ^ "Welcome to Koreatown, S'pore"Template:Inconsistent citations{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  5. ^ http://www.toronto.ca/bia/korea_town.htm
  6. ^ http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-621-x/89-621-x2007014-eng.htm
  7. ^ Elissa Silverman (2006-03-06). "More Than Koreatown". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  8. ^ "Good Choices in Annandale's Koreatown". washingtonian.com. 2003-04-01. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  9. ^ Alison Wellner. "Koreatown Restaurants in Los Angeles, New York, Annandale, Chicago and Toronto". About.com. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
  10. ^ "Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV CSA - ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates: 2009". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  11. ^ Amanda Abrams (2010-05-23). "Capital melting pot? Not when it comes to food". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  12. ^ Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues Second Edition, Edited by Pyong Gap Min. Pine Forge Press - An Imprint of Sage Publications, Inc. 2006. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
  13. ^ Brian Yarvin (2008-06-13). "New York serious eats". Serious Eats © 2006-2012. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
  14. ^ Karen Sudol and Dave Sheingold (2011-10-12). "Korean language ballots coming to Bergen County". © 2012 North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
  15. ^ Kirk Semple (May 18, 2012). "In New Jersey, Memorial for 'Comfort Women' Deepens Old Animosity". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-05-19. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues Second Edition, Edited by Pyong Gap Min. Pine Forge Press - An Imprint of Sage Publications, Inc. 2006. ISBN 978-1-4129-0556-5. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  17. ^ Jersey Dispatch: Bergen County Koreatown
  18. ^ John C. Ensslin (2011-12-20). "North Jersey Korean-Americans relieved but worried about transition". © 2011 North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 2011-12-23.
  19. ^ "Korean War vets honored at Cresskill church". © 2011 North Jersey Media Group. 2011-06-26. Retrieved 2011-12-23.
  20. ^ "Hackensack attorney appointed to court". © 2011 North Jersey Media Group. 2011-01-15. Retrieved 2011-12-23.
  21. ^ Karen Sudol and Dave Sheingold (2011-10-12). "Korean language ballots coming to Bergen County". © 2011 North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 2011-12-23.
  22. ^ "New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area". American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau. 2009. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  23. ^ "Albany Park Real Estate - Albany Park Homes". Falconliving.com. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  24. ^ "About KAC - Korean American Coalition Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter (한미연합회)". Kacdfw.org. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  25. ^ http://www.bronxmall.com/norwoodnews/ongoing/census/census112003.html. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. ^ Richards, Kathleen (May 6, 2009). "Oakland's Koreatown Isn't Your Typical Ethnic Enclave". East Bay Express. Oakland. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  27. ^ "Barrio Coreano". ElCuerpoDeCristo. 2006-09-25. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  28. ^ "재외동포현황/Current Status of Overseas Compatriots" (Document). Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 2009. {{cite document}}: Unknown parameter |accessdate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |publication-place= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |url= ignored (help)
  29. ^ "Coreanos en Chile: ¿Cómo ven a los chilenos? — Portal Chile Asia Pacifico" (in Template:Es icon). Asiapacifico.bcn.cl. Retrieved 2010-05-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  30. ^ "Origins: History of immigration from South Korea - Immigration Museum, Melbourne Australia". Museumvictoria.com.au. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
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