Category: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

High Rising — Los Angeles’s Asian-American Skyscrapers

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 1 Comment

The skyline of the modern city is largely defined by its skyscrapers; those towering, gleaming symbols of the architectural ambition, developer wealth, humanity's hubris, and ย usually crowned with a corporate logo.ย Before skyscrapers, cathedrals were nearly always the tallest human-made structure; Before them, the ancient pyramids. Their symbolic (and perhaps psychosexual) importance is subconsciously understood by … Continue reading High Rising — Los Angeles’s Asian-American Skyscrapers

No Enclave — Exloring Uzbek Los Angeles

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 6 Comments

There is no category for Uzbek-Americans on the US Census but roughly 20,000 Uzbeks are estimated to live here. The most visibleย communities live in the New York boroughs ofย Brooklyn and Queens or the nearby city of Fair Lawn, New Jersey. The first large wave arrived after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Due to … Continue reading No Enclave — Exloring Uzbek Los Angeles

Pan-Asian Metropolis — Pioneering Asian-American Architects in Los Angeles

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 17 Comments

There were Asian-American architects working outside of Los Angeles. Thomas S. Rockrise (nรฉ Iwahiko Tsumanuma) joined the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1921, toward the end of his career. Yasuo Matsui followed in 1927. In the mid-20th century, there Asian-American architects active in other parts of the country, as well, including Edith Leong Yang, Pu Hu Shao, … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Pioneering Asian-American Architects in Los Angeles

No Enclave — Exploring Malaysian Los Angeles

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 4 Comments

According to the 2010 census, there were 26,179 Americans of Malaysian background.ย Malaysian-Americans consist of people of a variety of ethnic origins, includingย Malay, Malaysian Chinese, Tamil, Banjar, Minangkabau, Indonesian, Iban, Filipino, Nepali, Tausลซg, andย Dusun.ย The state with the largest population of Malaysian-Americans is California; smaller populations live in New York, Texas, Illinois,ย Virginia, and Hawaii. In Los Angeles … Continue reading No Enclave — Exploring Malaysian Los Angeles

Those Useless Trees — The Aoyama Tree

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 5 Comments

Although not native,ย many Moreton Bayย Figs (Ficus macrophylla) dot the Southern California landscape.ย The oldest of these Australian immigrants might be those planted by agriculturalist Elijah Hook Workmanย on the Los Angeles Plaza in 1875. Around that same time, one was planted in Anaheim which later served as theย model for the Disneyland's Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. One planted … Continue reading Those Useless Trees — The Aoyama Tree

No Enclave — Exploring Mongolian Los Angeles

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 16 Comments

As of 2010, there were 18,344 Americans who self-identified as Mongolian-American. The census of that year also showed that 4,993 Mongolians were living in California, making it home to more Mongolians than any other state. About 2,000 Mongolians are estimated to live in Los Angeles. Although relatively low-profile and not thus far recognized with a designated enclave, a good … Continue reading No Enclave — Exploring Mongolian Los Angeles

Pan-Asian Metropolis — Los Angeles’s Asian Radio

~ Eric Brightwell ~ Leave a comment

Los Angeles is the worldโ€™s great Pan-Asian city, a melting pot within a melting pot. Arguments could be made for multicultural metropolises like Birmingham, Honolulu, London, New York, Toronto, and Vancouver which in some case have more numbers or larger percentages but none come close to matching Los Angelesโ€™s sheer breadth and vibrancy. In the … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Los Angeles’s Asian Radio

No Enclave — Exploring Sri Lankan Los Angeles

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 7 Comments

INTRODUCTION As of 2010, there were 45,159 Sri Lankans living in the US. Substantial immigration began in the 1990s when many fled the violence of the Sri Lankan Civil War. The majority of Sri Lankan-Americans live in the vicinity of either New York City (where there's a Little Sri Lanka on Staten Island), central New Jersey, or Los Angeles -- the latter … Continue reading No Enclave — Exploring Sri Lankan Los Angeles

Pan-Asian Metropolis — Los Angeles’s Asian Supermarkets

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 8 Comments

Supermarkets are wonderful places. My old landlord, a friendless and frankly unlikeable person, told me that Gelson's was her favorite place to spend Thanksgiving (alone). Joe Strummer wrote of getting lost in one, an experience apparently so traumatic that he required Mick Jones to sing his lyrics. The group Supermarket recorded just one song, called "Supermarket," the lyrics of which consisted … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Los Angeles’s Asian Supermarkets

Pan-Asian Metropolis — Asian Chain Restaurants in Los Angeles

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 4 Comments

For the self-congratulatory members of the cult of culinary authenticity, starvation is preferable to eating at a chain restaurant. Fast food in particular, with its industrial model of production, is the profane opposite of "artisanal." The apparent mission of the chain --  to appeal to as many people as possible -- is anathema to the foodieโ€™s pornographic fetishization … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Asian Chain Restaurants in Los Angeles