Chinese Americans in Boston
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The
Boston metropolitan area Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston (the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England) and its surrounding areas. The region forms the northern ar ...
has an active Chinese American community. As of 2013, the
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
Chinatown was the third largest Chinatown in the United States, and there are also Chinese populations in the suburbs of Greater Boston, including Quincy, Malden,Breger, Samara and Bruce Gellerman.
In Boston's Chinatown, Longtime Residents Face An Uncertain Future

Archive
. ''
WBUR WBUR-FM (90.9 FM) is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Boston University. It is the largest of three NPR member stations in Boston, along with WGBH and WUMB-FM and produces several nationally distributed progra ...
''. November 27, 2013. Retrieved on September 8, 2015.
Acton, Newton, and Lexington. As of 2006, Boston, Quincy, Malden, Newton, Brookline, and
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...
house about half of all of the ethnic Chinese in
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, and as a whole, Chinese constituted the largest Asian ethnic group in the state.


History

In the beginning of the 20th century, most Chinese moving to
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
were single men, while some were single women.Burge, Kathleen.
One community’s Asian connection


. ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
''. March 31, 2013. Retrieved on September 8, 2015.
Historically most Chinese moving to Massachusetts specifically went to the Boston Chinatown and prior to the 1960s the state overall had little Chinese immigration. Immigration from China into the Boston area increased after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was passed.Fox, Jeremy C.
Chinese population expanding in Boston suburbs


. ''
Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
''. Retrieved on September 8, 2015.
From 2000 to 2010, the Chinese population of Massachusetts increased by 46%. By 2004 Malden received an influx of second and third generation Chinese moving from Boston and elsewhere.Buote, Brenda J,
Asian population up in small cities

Archive
. ''
Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
''. June 13, 2004. Retrieved on September 10, 2015.
As of 2010 there were almost 123,000 Chinese Americans in all of Massachusetts. By 2011 many Chinese Americans settled in the Boston suburbs, either moving there from Boston or immigrating directly from China to the Boston suburbs. By 2013, the Boston Chinatown was facing redevelopment and gentrification.


Demographics

As of 2003, about 66% of the Asians in Quincy were ethnic Chinese,Eschbacher, Karen.
Immigrants from India a growing community in Quincy


. ''
The Patriot Ledger ''The Patriot Ledger'' is a daily newspaper in Quincy, Massachusetts, that serves the South Shore. It publishes Monday through Saturday. Known for its thorough news coverage of the 26 communities south of Boston, ''The Patriot Ledger'' has won ...
''. July 2, 2003 (from th
summary page
. Retrieved on September 8, 2015.
giving the city one of the largest Chinese populations in the state.Hsiao, Teresa.



. ''
The Patriot Ledger ''The Patriot Ledger'' is a daily newspaper in Quincy, Massachusetts, that serves the South Shore. It publishes Monday through Saturday. Known for its thorough news coverage of the 26 communities south of Boston, ''The Patriot Ledger'' has won ...
''. July 2, 2003 (from th
summary page
. Retrieved on September 8, 2015.
From 2000 to 2010 Quincy's Chinese population increased by almost 60%. Most of the Asian immigrants coming to Quincy in the 1980s originated from
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
and Taiwan, but by 2003 the majority place of origin was
Fujian Province Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...
in
Mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
.Eschbacher, Karen.
Quincy’s Asian-American community is growing, changing


. ''
The Patriot Ledger ''The Patriot Ledger'' is a daily newspaper in Quincy, Massachusetts, that serves the South Shore. It publishes Monday through Saturday. Known for its thorough news coverage of the 26 communities south of Boston, ''The Patriot Ledger'' has won ...
''. June 28, 2003 (from th
summary page
. Retrieved on September 8, 2015.
As of 2000 65% of the Chinese in Quincy were homeowners. Historically Quincy residents traveled to shops in the Boston Chinatown but by 2003 Asian shopping centers became established in Quincy.Eschbacher, Karen.



. ''
The Patriot Ledger ''The Patriot Ledger'' is a daily newspaper in Quincy, Massachusetts, that serves the South Shore. It publishes Monday through Saturday. Known for its thorough news coverage of the 26 communities south of Boston, ''The Patriot Ledger'' has won ...
''. June 28, 2003 (from th
summary page
. Retrieved on September 8, 2015.
By 2003 New York City-based Kam Man Food was establishing a supermarket in Quincy.
Hainan Airlines Hainan Airlines Co., Ltd. (HNA, ) is an airline headquartered in Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China. The airline is rated as a 5-star airline by Skytrax. It is the largest civilian-run and majority state-owned air transport company, ...
began non-stop service between
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
and
Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport , also known as Boston Logan International Airport and commonly as Boston Logan, Logan Airport or simply Logan, is an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partial ...
in Boston in 2014, followed by non-stop service between
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
and Boston in 2015.
Cathay Pacific Airways Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (CPA), more widely known as Cathay Pacific (), is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline's operations and subsidiaries have ...
began non-stop service between
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
and Boston in 2015. These non-stop flight services between China and Boston were credited for the ascent of Chinese becoming the top nationality visiting Boston from outside North America, with nearly one in four Chinese visitors coming to Boston for education. Acton had 2,041 Chinese Americans in 2010, a 151% increase from 2000 and the ninth largest Chinese population in Massachusetts. In 2000, Malden had 4,504 ethnic Chinese people, making up 57% of the city's Asian population. From 2000 to 2010 the Chinese population of Malden increased by about 50%. Malden Center is situated on the MBTA Orange Line which connects with Boston's Chinatown.


Institutions

The Chinese Progressive Association is located in Boston. The Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Inc. (BCNC; ) serves Chinese Americans in the region. Its principal site is in the Boston Chinatown, and in 2011 BCNC executive director Elaine Ng stated that the center would begin to offer services in Quincy. The number of persons using BCNC services residing in Quincy increased by almost 300% in a period beginning in 2004 and ending in 2005.


Education

Founded in 1916, the
Kwong Kow Chinese School Kwong Kow Chinese School (KKCS; 中華廣教學校) is a supplementary school located in Chinatown, Boston. Founded in 1916 for immigrants in Chinatown, as Qwong Kow Chinese School, it has offered classes for not only members of the local Chinese Am ...
is the oldest Chinese-language school in Massachusetts. It offers classes for not only members of the local Chinese American community, but immigrant children the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
,
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
, and
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. In 2007, it moved into its permanent home at the Chinese Community Education Center, after many years of moving around Chinatown. As of 2003 1,000 students took classes at the school. Peter Jae established the Quincy Chinese Language School, which offers supplementary education for Chinese children, in 1988. As of 2003 it holds
Cantonese language Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...
classes for 150 students at the Sacred Heart School in North Quincy on Saturday mornings. The school at one time had 400 students but the school reduced itself in size when a lack of qualified teachers occurred. The Chung Yee School is another Chinese school in Quincy. As of 2008 the headmaster is Harry Kwan, who originated from Hong Kong. That year the school had 100 students and charged $100 ($ adjusted for inflation) per child per month for Chinese language and culture after school classes. It was first established around 1996. The school was briefly closed by the Quincy Police Department in November 28, 2008 due to a lack of Massachusetts state and local government permits. After the state and municipal authorities cleared the school of allegations of child abuse, it was scheduled to reopen that year. In 2003, over 400 students attended classes at the Lexington Chinese School (LCS; 勒星頓中文學校), held on Sundays. The school holds its classes at Belmont High School in Belmont.


Recreation

The Lunar New Year is celebrated in Quincy, amongst other places.


Notable people

*
An Wang An Wang (; February 7, 1920 – March 24, 1990) was a Chinese–American computer engineer and inventor, and cofounder of computer company Wang Laboratories, which was known primarily for its dedicated word processing machines. Wang was an impo ...
Hevesi, Dennis.
An Wang, 70, Is Dead of Cancer; Inventor and Maker of Computers


. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''. March 25, 1990. Retrieved on September 11, 2015.
*
Donnie Yen Donnie Yen Chi-tan (; born 27 July 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, and action director. Yen is one of Hong Kong's top action stars. Yen is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts (MMA) into the mainstream Asian cinema by cho ...


References

* Lo, Shauna (
University of Massachusetts Boston The University of Massachusetts Boston (stylized as UMass Boston) is a public research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the only public research university in Boston and the third-largest campus in the five-campus University of Massa ...
)
"Profiles of Asian American Subgroups in Massachusetts: Chinese Americans in Massachusetts"
Institute for Asian American Studies. Paper 12. February 1, 2006.


Notes


Further reading

* Sullivan, Charles and Kathlyn Hatch.
The Chinese in Boston, 1970

Archive
. Action for Boston Community Development. Sixth printing, January 3, 1973. * Watanabe, Paul, Michael Liu, and Shauna Lo (all from the
University of Massachusetts Boston The University of Massachusetts Boston (stylized as UMass Boston) is a public research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the only public research university in Boston and the third-largest campus in the five-campus University of Massa ...
and the Institute for Asian American Studies)
"Asian Americans in Metro Boston: Growth, Diversity, and Complexity"
May 2004. Prepared for the Metro Boston Equity Initiative of The Harvard Civil Rights Project.


External links


Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Inc.

Chinese Historical Society of New England
(CHSNE; 紐英崙華人歷史協會)
Quincy Asian Resources, Inc.
(QARI, 亚协服务中心)
Kwong Kow Chinese School

Lexington Chinese School
{{Portal bar, China, United States, Massachusetts Chinese-American culture in Massachusetts
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
Ethnic groups in Boston History of Boston
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...