Asiatown, also spelled AsiaTown, formerly known as Chinatown, is a Chinatown located in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. Chinese people, brought to the country as railroad workers, established the area in the 1860s. The area became known as Chinatown in the 1920s and is centered at Rockwell Avenue and E. 22nd Street. Large numbers of non-Chinese people from Asia settled in the area in the 1960s and 1970s, leading eastward to the enclave’s expansion. The expanded enclave was named Asiatown in 2006, with that portion on Rockwell Avenue often being referred to as “Old Chinatown” or “Historic Chinatown.”
Chinatown
Cleveland’s first Asian residents were Chinese, who came to the United States to work on the railroads. These individuals came to Cleveland, OH to escape the racism and anti-Chinese sentiments of white people on the West Coast. Their numbers were initially small and numbered only 23 in 1880. By 1900, the number had risen to 96. Initially, these Chinese settled on Ontario Street between Lakeside and St. Clair Avenues, north of Public Square. The enclave consisted of small retail shops like clothing stores, grocery stores, laundries, and restaurants. By the 1890s, however, the enclave was dissolving, with Chinese-run shops scattered throughout the downtown area.
Rise of the New Chinatown
Cleveland saw a major influx of Koreans from 1960 to 1970, many of whom lived in Chinatown. Significant Vietnamese took up residence in the enclave from 1980 to 2000. As these and other Asian immigrant groups settled in more significant numbers in Cleveland, the Asian enclave began to expand beyond its original boundaries to the east. By the early 1990s, a new enclave had emerged, bounded by St. Clair and Payne Avenues and E. 30th and E. 40th Streets.
In 1986, a Chinese restaurant, Bo Loong, opened in a newly constructed building at 3922 St. Clair Avenue. Attracting both Asian and non-Asian customers, it proved to be a groundbreaking establishment that anchored the emerging Asiatown. In 1991, Asia Plaza opened on the northwest corner of E. 30th Street and Payne Avenue. This modern shopping mall, which featured ample parking spaces, provided a more comfortable indoor shopping experience for consumers and drew new diners. Li Wah anchored it, the second in a chain of restaurants (all featuring the “Wah” name) that catered to Asian and non-Asian palates. New Asian grocery stores also opened, stocking items for a wide range of Asian cuisines. Bed Bug Exterminator Cleveland
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