![Little Saigon Vietnamese Walk of Honor Sign](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Little_Saigon_Vietnamese_Walk_of_Honor_Sign.jpg)
Little Saigon, also popularly known as Vietnamtown or simply Viet-Town, is a neighborhood in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
centered on
Bellaire Boulevard
Bellaire Boulevard (also known as Holcombe, and as 百利大道 ''Bǎilì Dàdào'' in Chinese and ''Đại Lộ Sàigòn'' in Vietnamese) is an arterial road in western Houston, Texas, United States. The street also goes through unincorporated a ...
west of
Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
. It is one of the largest Vietnamese enclaves in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
It is located within the
International Management District
The International Management District (IMD) or simply the International District (ID) is a management district in Harris County and Fort Bend County, Texas. Most of the district is within the city of Houston, while a portion lies within an uni ...
. Because the neighborhood is adjacent to Chinatown, there is a misconception that it is a continuation of Chinatown. Little Saigon is, however, its own distinctive neighborhood. The portion of Bellaire Blvd was officially designated as ''Saigon Blvd'' by the City of Houston, and its intersecting streets were also designated Vietnamese names. In the City of Houston in 2016, there was a plan to officially designate the area as its own district. This was, however, rejected by the residents of the overall
Alief
Alief is a working-class suburb in Southwest Harris County, Texas, Harris County, Texas, United States. Most of Alief is within the city limits of Houston, while a portion of the community is in Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated ...
area.
[Turner, Allan (June 30, 2016]
"Little Saigon District plans draw mixed reactions"
''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
'' (online). The Vietnamese-American
AM radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
station, ''
Radio Saigon Houston
KREH (branded as Radio Saigon Houston) is a Vietnamese language AM radio station, licensed to Pecan Grove, Texas, United States. KREH's studios are in Little Saigon and in the International District in Houston, Texas. '', is transmitted in the neighborhood.
[Garza, Cynthia Leonor.]
Radio Saigon lures Vietnamese to Houston
Archive
. ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
''. July 31, 2007. Retrieved on February 13, 2015.
History
Before Asian businesses set up shop in
Southwest Houston
Southwest Houston is a region in Houston, Texas, United States. The area is considered to be from Texas State Highway 6, south of Westpark Tollway to north of U.S. Route 90.
Many Section 8 (housing) complexes are located in Southwest Houston. Hu ...
, many of them were based in an area that is now called
East Downtown
East Downtown Houston (EaDo) is a district in Houston, Texas, United States. The East Downtown Management District (EDMD), manages the area with offices headquartered at START Houston, a co-working space 1121 Delano Street. The community is locat ...
(EaDo). This area has gone through a revamping phase, causing what was left of Asian businesses to fade.
[Moreno, Jenalia (October 17, 2009)]
/ref> Since then, Asian developers began settling in Southwest Houston. Vietnamese businesses have dominated the area along Bellaire Boulevard
Bellaire Boulevard (also known as Holcombe, and as 百利大道 ''Bǎilì Dàdào'' in Chinese and ''Đại Lộ Sàigòn'' in Vietnamese) is an arterial road in western Houston, Texas, United States. The street also goes through unincorporated a ...
west of Beltway 8
Beltway 8 (BW8), the Sam Houston Parkway, along with the Sam Houston Tollway, is an beltway around the city of Houston, Texas, United States, lying entirely within Harris County.
Beltway 8, a state highway maintained by the Texas ...
. In 2003, architect Nghiep Nguyen's design for a Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
memorial received funding and later debuted in 2005.[Knapp, Gwendolyn (June 22, 2018)]
/ref> This has since been one of Little Saigon's most prominent landmarks.
In 2015, city council members lead by Richard Nguyen designated Vietnamese street names within the neighborhood and added Vietnamese street signs. The portion of Bellaire Blvd between Beltway 8
Beltway 8 (BW8), the Sam Houston Parkway, along with the Sam Houston Tollway, is an beltway around the city of Houston, Texas, United States, lying entirely within Harris County.
Beltway 8, a state highway maintained by the Texas ...
and Eldridge Parkway was designated ''Saigon Blvd'' (or Dai Lo Saigon). Additionally, the intersecting streets were also given Vietnamese names and street signs.[http://www.houstontx.gov/citysec/agenda/2016/20160628.pdf ] Today, Little Saigon is known for its quality food options. Popular restaurant Crawfish and Noodles has appeared on many Travel Channel
Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in New York, New York, United S ...
programs including Andrew Zimmern
Andrew Scott Zimmern (born July 4, 1961) is an American chef, restaurateur, television and radio personality, director, producer, businessman, food critic, and author. Zimmern is the co-creator, host, and consulting producer of the Travel Channe ...
's ''Bizarre Foods America
''Bizarre Foods America'' is an American television series, and a spin-off of'' Bizarre Foods'', this time focusing on the United States rather than international travel. Andrew Zimmern travels to various cities throughout the country (as well as ...
''.[McArthy, Amy (January 3, 2019)]
/ref>
Economy
Bellaire Boulevard is dominated by Vietnamese businesses and street signs. Since the 1980s, Asian businesses have constantly grown in Southwest Houston
Southwest Houston is a region in Houston, Texas, United States. The area is considered to be from Texas State Highway 6, south of Westpark Tollway to north of U.S. Route 90.
Many Section 8 (housing) complexes are located in Southwest Houston. Hu ...
. Since the 2000s, this area has become a top destination in the restaurant industry. Houston City Council member Steve Le, a Vietnamese-American, has worked to promote the area and increase its tourism.[Turner, Allan (July 13, 2016) ouncilman Le pitcher Little Saigon Plans/ref> The Vietnamese street signs in the neighborhood were added in part due to increasing tourism efforts.][ Many of Houston's most iconic Vietnamese restaurants are located in the area such as ''Crawfish and Noodles'', ''Pho Binh'' and ''Lee's Sandwiches''. Vietnamese-American radio station, ''Radio Saigon Houston'' is transmitted in the Saigon Plaza.
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houston
Ethnic enclaves in Texas
Little Saigons
Neighborhoods in Houston