Asian Americans Moving to the Mountain West – Las Vegas & Phoenix

When you typically think of Asian Americans settling down, you probably think the West Coast (California, Washington State) , the Northeast, or possibly Chicago. Well, demographic trends show that more and more Asian Americans are moving away from the traditional hubs, as reported in USA Today’s article, “In a twist, USA’s Asians are heading to the Mountain West“:

“In a surprising twist to historical settlement patterns, growing numbers of Asian Americans are beginning to bail from the places that have long been their main gateways to the West: California and Washington. Wearied by the same crushing home prices, poor schools, jammed freeways and persistent crime that have sent millions of other Californians packing, Asian Americans are moving to spots in the West they hope will produce better lifestyles — namely Las Vegas and Phoenix. The Asian migration is fueling ethnic diversity in places that have been overwhelmingly white. Since 1990, Nevada has had the most rapid growth of any state in the number of Asians and Pacific Islanders. The number jumped 174% in the 1990s and 67% so far this decade to about 211,000, according to 2007 Census Bureau estimates. Asians now make up about 8.2% of Nevada’s 2.6 million people — a higher percentage than the national share of 5.4%. Arizona also is registering significant growth among Asians, a trend fueled largely by an exodus from California and Washington.”

The article goes on to describe a lot of growth in the areas of Asian focused grocery stores, restaurants and even banks cantered towards Asian Americans. Washington state’s cost of living seems pretty cheap to me compared to San Francisco Bay Area, so I can only imagine how inexpensive housing is in Nevada and Arizona – especially given the number of foreclosures going on in those overbuilt cities during the housing boom.

The article also notes that there is going to be a new national “glossy” Asian American magazine launched in Las Vegas, titled AsianAm , which will sell for $4.50 and aim for an initial circulation of 700,000. 700,000 sounds HUGE… If you know the history of Asian American magazines (such as A Magazine, TransPacific, etc.), none have ever been able to survive long-term. Maybe AsianAm will?