Most geographically concentrated ethnic groups

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Pacific Mall in Markham, well known in Greater Toronto, is considered to be the largest "indoor Asian mall" in North America (I presume to exclude night markets, like the Richmond Night Market in BC) and has been marketed as a tourist attraction, open on statutory holidays.

But I wonder how often (out of the area) Canadian, or American tourists would drop by and go there (perhaps on their way to Toronto or somewhere else in Ontario), since it's out of the way in a suburban area and is a mall, unlike a night market which would actually be an open festival.

Richmond has a lot of chinese malls so the night market is a combined trip for many, i see a lot of people from seattle vloggong about their trips to vancouver for chinese shops and food.

I often take out of towners to the chinese mall in richmond, it seems to be a tourist attraction but its easy to reach and more interesting than china town is these days.

[mistercorporate]

You guys have it all wrong, the most geographically concentrated ethnic group is a subspecies of the Scarborough hoodrat: Slutius Maximus.

[Capsicum]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Richmond has a lot of chinese malls so the night market is a combined trip for many, i see a lot of people from seattle vloggong about their trips to vancouver for chinese shops and food.

I often take out of towners to the chinese mall in richmond, it seems to be a tourist attraction but its easy to reach and more interesting than china town is these days.

Are the non-locals interested in the Chinese shops and festivals in Greater Vancouver mostly Chinese-Americans, or Chinese from overseas themselves, or Canadians and Americans of all stripes, interested in the cultural elements?

[SpongeG]

I don't know, Chinese New Years is a big thing out here in Vancouver, the parade attracts people from every culture. Even non chinese stores get in and put on chinese new years displays, like superstore, save on foods and walmart. Some malls put up decorations or make some kind of acknowledgement of it. I think most people in Vancouver are aware of CNY, definately moreso than outside of the city.

It was or is just like celebrating st patricks day or cynco de mayo etc like people make plans to do something for it here for many non-chinese. You got the santa claus parade, the CNY parade, the St Patricks parade, the halloween parade etc. its part of the local culture. Its pretty encompassing and mainstream.

[Capsicum]

I was wondering whether Asian cultural elements have trickled into the mainstream in western Canada in ways it hasn't in the areas to the east. For instance, I'd guessing sushi was mainstream there long before the rest of the continent.

Once I went on a trip, and was having a conversation at lunch about various foods and whether certain foods were common enough to be in "regular" grocery stores or convenience stores, where I recall a white Canadian from Vancouver seemed to think that (some number of east Asian and south Asian dishes or snacks I can't recall the names of) were ordinary snacks you could easily purchase from any store in most cities, but an Asian American who grew up in an area of the US without many other Asian people replied that she didn't think any of those were.

[SpongeG]

ah well yeah sushi is pretty much everywhere in Vancouver area. I have some Japanese friends who find it strange that it is so common here. And qre quick to point out that its probably korean or chinese made so its not really japanese sushi.

I guess some snacks have crossed over but they are still only found in the international foods section. A lot of people like the Korean cheetos and they are a little easier to come across.

I find Nanaimo Bars are pretty easy to find anywhere in BC mainly the LM and the island, gas stations, corner stores etc always have some to buy. McDonalds on the island have an exclusive Nanaimo Bar McFlurry, I guess the same way maritimes McDonalds have some lobster thing.

[Docere]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

I was wondering whether Asian cultural elements have trickled into the mainstream in western Canada in ways it hasn't in the areas to the east. For instance, I'd guessing sushi was mainstream there long before the rest of the continent.

Once I went on a trip, and was having a conversation at lunch about various foods and whether certain foods were common enough to be in "regular" grocery stores or convenience stores, where I recall a white Canadian from Vancouver seemed to think that (some number of east Asian and south Asian dishes or snacks I can't recall the names of) were ordinary snacks you could easily purchase from any store in most cities, but an Asian American who grew up in an area of the US without many other Asian people replied that she didn't think any of those were.

I think that is likely the case.

Asians have been a visible presence in Vancouver from the beginning. Chinese and Japanese made up a similar proportion of the population that Jews did in Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg a century ago. While Van's Asian population has rapidly expanded in proportion and raw numbers, it's not as if they're only a recent addition to the population. So I suspect Asian culture is more "ingrained" in the general culture.

[Capsicum]

I visited Seattle after I'd already visited Vancouver and noticed that the Asian Americans all seem more "assimilated" than their Canadian counterparts. Noticeably so. I'm not sure if that reflects anything about immigration history or just reflects that Seattle is a smaller percentage Asian so has fewer ethnic enclaves. Seattle also has more Japanese-Americans who are more generations removed from Asia in general than Chinese-Americans or Chinese Canadians alike.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

ah well yeah sushi is pretty much everywhere in Vancouver area. I have some Japanese friends who find it strange that it is so common here. And qre quick to point out that its probably korean or chinese made so its not really japanese sushi.

I guess some snacks have crossed over but they are still only found in the international foods section. A lot of people like the Korean cheetos and they are a little easier to come across.

I find Nanaimo Bars are pretty easy to find anywhere in BC mainly the LM and the island, gas stations, corner stores etc always have some to buy. McDonalds on the island have an exclusive Nanaimo Bar McFlurry, I guess the same way maritimes McDonalds have some lobster thing.

Over the last few years our McDonald's in Timmins and I think most locations across Ontario have offered some of the regional items found across Canada. I think it's done in June and July around Canada Day.

We've had the Nanaimo Bar sundae (I don't think it was a McFlurry), the McLobster and some other items. McDonald's advertised it as their "Great Canadian Taste Adventure."

Just found the list of items from 2015 and I think last year was almost the same:


Cottage Country Chicken (June 3 – 9)
Western BBQ Burger (June 10 – 16)
McLobster (June 17 – 30)
Maple and Bacon Poutine (June 3 – 30)
Chocolate Nanaimo Sundae (June 3 – 30)

http://foodology.ca/mcdonalds-canada...rn-bbq-burger/

[Capsicum]

If I'm not mistaken, the last time I had the McLobster was in Quebec, where it was the McHomard. I'm not sure how far west the McLobster goes.

[Docere]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Seattle also has more Japanese-Americans who are more generations removed from Asia in general than Chinese-Americans or Chinese Canadians alike.

Not really. Here's the breakdown of Asian groups in King County:

Chinese 77,480
Filipino 45,254
Vietnamese 38,783
Korean 28,852
Japanese 21,077

http://www.usa.com/king-county-wa.htm

[Capsicum]

Originally Posted by Docere

Not really. Here's the breakdown of Asian groups in King County:

Chinese 77,480
Filipino 45,254
Vietnamese 38,783
Korean 28,852
Japanese 21,077

http://www.usa.com/king-county-wa.htm

Oh, I kind of assumed that there might be a lot, since one grocery store I saw in the Seattle area a lot was called Uwajimaya and according to the website it was founded in 1928.

I kind of assumed that because Seattle had a local grocery store chain with a Japanese name founded by a Japanese American, plus Vancouver seemed much more "Chinese" by comparison (and most Asian food/businesses were more Chinese) maybe there were more of that demographic. I guess I was wrong.

[Capsicum]

This goes back to the old thread in the "city discussions" part of the forum about pan-Asian sentiment in the US vs. Canada, but I find that the things I see that represent "Asian Canadian" culture are much more Chinese-centered than their US counterparts. Pacific Mall, named after a place in Hong Kong, the debate about Chinese signs in Richmond, BC. Agincourt in Toronto nicknamed "Asiancourt" but is heavily Chinese in demographic.

US perceptions of Asian American, even if not Pan-Asian, are at least more pan-east Asian, so for example Sriracha sauce was made by a Vietnamese American, Asian grocery stores or restaurants in the US, on the west coast are much more evenly split between Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese etc. than Canadian ones (where east Asian more often means Chinese-dominated).

[Docere]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

This goes back to the old thread in the "city discussions" part of the forum about pan-Asian sentiment in the US vs. Canada, but I find that the things I see that represent "Asian Canadian" culture are much more Chinese-centered than their US counterparts. Pacific Mall, named after a place in Hong Kong, the debate about Chinese signs in Richmond, BC. Agincourt in Toronto nicknamed "Asiancourt" but is heavily Chinese in demographic.

US perceptions of Asian American, even if not Pan-Asian, are at least more pan-east Asian, so for example Sriracha sauce was made by a Vietnamese American, Asian grocery stores or restaurants in the US, on the west coast are much more evenly split between Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese etc. than Canadian ones (where east Asian more often means Chinese-dominated).

OK, I would agree with this. Seattle does have a more "balanced" Asian population than San Francisco or Vancouver which are much more heavily skewed toward Chinese.

[north 42]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

If I'm not mistaken, the last time I had the McLobster was in Quebec, where it was the McHomard. I'm not sure how far west the McLobster goes.

It went at least as far west as Windsor.

[Capsicum]

Originally Posted by Docere

Not really. Here's the breakdown of Asian groups in King County:

Chinese 77,480
Filipino 45,254
Vietnamese 38,783
Korean 28,852
Japanese 21,077

http://www.usa.com/king-county-wa.htm

Originally Posted by Docere

OK, I would agree with this. Seattle does have a more "balanced" Asian population than San Francisco or Vancouver which are much more heavily skewed toward Chinese.

According to the same site, there's also 54,137 Indian origin, second only to Chinese. I wonder if many of them share the same origin/roots and immigration story with metro Vancouver's Indian population, but maybe not since the same site gives a number of only 15,827 Indian for 2000, implying that Seattle's Indian population is much "newer" than Vancouver's. Perhaps the "old" Punjabi/Sikh population in Washington state was heavily outnumbered (I hear many were driven away in the earlier 20th century and didn't return) by the recent wave (especially those that came to work in tech) of educated immigrants from India.

[Docere]

Kent, Washington which was I believe the butt of jokes for local comedians in Seattle for years (akin to Surrey in Van when it was still more white working class), now has a sizable Sikh community:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-a...lenges-n822006

[Capsicum]

Originally Posted by Docere

Kent, Washington which was I believe the butt of jokes for local comedians in Seattle for years (akin to Surrey in Van when it was still more white working class), now has a sizable Sikh community:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-a...lenges-n822006

From the article,

"He estimated there are between 8,000 and 10,000 Sikhs living in Kent and nearby Renton and Auburn. He put that number closer to 50,000 when SeaTac, Federal Way, and Seattle — all in King County — are included."

If that claim is right and 50, 000 Sikhs live in King County but the data show a count of 54,137 of Indian ethnicity, that means almost all but a few thousand Indian Americans in King County are Sikh, which seems a bit high by proportion.

Surely, Seattle must have proportionally gotten more non-Sikh immigration than Vancouver right, especially with its tech industry.

[Docere]

A lot of community estimates tend be on the high side. I remember figures of "500,000 Tamils in the GTA" being floated around when the Tamil community was protesting the Sri Lankan government about a decade ago.

It's also possible in the US that with lower citizenship rates, undercounting of immigrant communities is a bigger problem than it is in Canada.

I would be very surprised if Seattle's South Asian community was as Sikh-dominated as Van's - which I'm pretty sure is the only major South Asian center on the continent where Sikhs are in the majority.

[Capsicum]

http://www.pewforum.org/religious-la...le-metro-area/

Apparently about 2% of people in metro Seattle are Hindu (I can't see Sikhism marked anywhere but "other world religions is" < 1%).
2% of the metro area's 3.8 million is about 76, 000.

But of Seattle's population by ethnicity, only 1.5% are Indian, implying more Hindus than Indians. If you take this on face value, then even if almost all Seattle metro's Indians are Hindus you'd need to have others who are non-Indian to make up the difference. Again, numbers seem off.