Author Archives: Edwin Bai

About Edwin Bai

Sociology, Political Science, GIS triple major at the University of Washington. I am an ethnic Han Chinese born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley. I love exploring sociological topics pertaining to Asian American history and geography. My works focus on analyses of ethnic enclaves and historical events in order to give greater insight to how Asian Americans got to where they are. Contributing writer for the Los Angeles Journal.

Little Saigon – Legacy of South Vietnam

Posted on November 26, 2024 by Edwin Bai

Little Saigon, Orange County – a small Vietnamese ethnic enclave nestled between Garden Grove and Westminster, home to the largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam. With almost 100,000 Vietnamese living within Little Saigon, making up over 40% of Little Saigon’s … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Local, Politics, Southern California | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Sawtelle Japantown vs Little Tokyo

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Edwin Bai

Sawtelle Japantown, Los Angeles – a quaint neighborhood in West LA just as big as its downtown counterpart. Born from its historical Japanese population in the early–mid 20th century, Sawtelle Japantown is a cornerstone of Japanese American history and culture, … Continue reading →

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Little Tokyo – Small Corner, Big Place

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Edwin Bai

Little Tokyo, Los Angeles – the largest official Japantown in the US and a bustling center of activity in the heart of LA. With strong connections to Japanese culture, cuisine, and media, Little Tokyo is one of the most popular … Continue reading →

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Koreatown – Trendy Nightlife or Neighborhood in Decline?

Posted on November 12, 2024 by Edwin Bai

Koreatown, LA – a vibrant and bustling place, especially during the night. Full of bars, restaurants, shops, and nightclubs, the area attracts many young adults and teenagers in the LA region. As the densest neighborhood in LA County, totaling at … Continue reading →

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The “Other” Chinatown

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Edwin Bai

In contrast to the broken down, struggling Chinatown of Los Angeles, the original and oldest Chinatown in the US located in San Francisco is a hustling and bustling center of activity in the Bay Area. Established in the early 1850s … Continue reading →

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Why Stockton for Asian Americans?

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Edwin Bai

Stockton – a mid sized city in California’s Central Valley known for being one of the poorest, most dangerous cities on the West Coast. Whenever the name is mentioned, there is a negative connotation associated with it; being one of … Continue reading →

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Asian Boyz – A Cambodian Street Gang in SoCal

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Edwin Bai

Asian Americans are often thought of as the “model minority” – a highly educated, wealthy, and good-behaving demographic. Sure, Asian Americans as a whole do have the highest income amongst all racial demographics and are massively overrepresented in higher education, … Continue reading →

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Where’s Chinatown?

Posted on September 27, 2024 by Edwin Bai

Chinatown, Los Angeles. Walking through there, it’s obvious that the neighborhood is struggling. With broken sidewalks, empty and abandoned stores, widespread vandalism, and a lack of commercial activity, it’s no wonder that hardly anyone walks through these streets. Though there … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Discrimination, History, Local, Southern California, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The History of Chinese Immigrant Workers and Labor Unions in America

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Edwin Bai

Introduction The history of Chinese immigrant laborers began with the California Gold Rush, where thousands of hopeful workers migrated to the US in hopes of attaining wealth and being able to send some of that wealth back home to their … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Discrimination, History, Labor | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Have Asian Americans Gotten Richer or Poorer?

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Edwin Bai

Asian Americans have often been lauded for their high financial and educational achievements, despite being second-class citizens when they first arrived in America. They have some of the highest average incomes, educational attainment, and standards of living in the US, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Exploitasian: The Story of Chinese Workers in Gold-Rush America

Posted on June 25, 2024 by Edwin Bai

China’s rise to economic dominance in the late 1900s largely came from its massive population and the cheap labor that it provided to foreign corporations, with “companies like Nike, Apple and Walmart relying on Chinese workers to manufacture their products”. … Continue reading →

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The Molded Minority

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Edwin Bai

In the discussions of racism and its impact in the United States, people often commonly refer to the racial relationships between White and Black Americans. In history textbooks, we study in depth the discriminatory practices and laws perpetrated by Whites … Continue reading →

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