Chinatown, Houston

Chinatown, Houston

Chinatown is a special community in Southwest Houston, Texas, in the United States. People often call it by its Chinese name, 華埠 or 中國城.

There is also a place called "Old Chinatown" in East Downtown Houston, near the George R. Brown Convention Center.

This area is sometimes called "Bellaire" after Bellaire Boulevard. By 2025, many people started calling it Asiatown as well.

History

Houston's Chinatown started in the early 1900s and became more organized in 1951 with help from Chinese business owners. It was first in the East Downtown area, where early Chinese shops and restaurants served the community. Over time, the Chinese community grew and moved to new areas, creating a new Chinatown around Bellaire Boulevard in the 1980s. This new area grew as more Asian American business owners moved there for more space and lower costs.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Chinatown kept growing and attracting people from many different Asian backgrounds. By 2025, the area was also called Asiatown, though not everyone liked this new name. During the COVID-19 pandemic, false rumors hurt business, but it remains an important cultural and social center for many.

Cityscape

The Southwest Management District says Chinatown in Houston is between Redding Rd and Gessner Rd to the east, Westpark Dr to the north, Beltway 8 to the west, and Beechnut St to the south. It covers about 2.37 square miles (6.1 km²).

According to the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chinatown together with Little Saigon forms an area called Asiatown. This area is roughly bordered by Fondren Road, Beechnut Street, State Highway 6, and Westpark Drive, sitting between Alief and the city of Bellaire.

The Bellaire Chinatown is about 12 miles southwest of Downtown Houston and spans over 6 square miles (16 km²), making it one of the largest car-friendly Chinatowns in the Southern United States. It lies between Westchase and the City of Sugar Land, and is mostly built on open land with few trees.

Many shops, restaurants, and services in this Chinatown serve different Asian cuisines such as Chinese, Hong Kong, Taiwanese, Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Thai, and Vietnamese. You can also find restaurants that mix different food styles, called fusion cuisine.

Demographics

As of 2012, the part of Chinatown in the Greater Sharpstown area had 29,993 people. Most of these people were middle class.

Government and instrastructure

Two Houston City Council districts, F and J, serve the new Chinatown. District J was created to help Hispanics elect representatives who understand their needs.

The new Chinatown has police help from two Houston Police Department groups: the Midwest Patrol Division and the Westside Patrol Division. The Midwest division has an office in the Diho Square complex.

Fire stations near Chinatown are Station 10 Bellaire and Station 76 Alief Community. Both stations are part of Fire District 83. Station 10 moved to its current place in 1985, and Station 76 was built the same year.

Economy

Many banks are along Bellaire Boulevard near Beltway 8. These banks help local people and Asian American business owners. One leader called this area the Wall Street of Chinatown.

For many years, only a few banks were here, like Wells Fargo. More banks opened later to help Asian businesses grow. By 2007, banks such as MetroBank and Texas First National Bank (now Golden Bank) were open. Some banks, like Southwestern National Bank, have their main offices in Chinatown.

Education

The new Chinatown area has two school districts. Most of it is in the Alief Independent School District. A smaller eastern part is in the Houston Independent School District.

In the Alief district, many elementary schools serve Chinatown. Students can go to three high schools in Chinatown. In the Houston ISD part, students go to different elementary and middle schools. They can attend Sharpstown High School or Wisdom High School. There are also private schools in Chinatown, like Strake Jesuit College Preparatory and Saint Agnes Academy.

Transportation

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, called METRO, has buses that stop close to this area.

Chinese Community Institutions

Chinatown in Houston is a special place where people keep their culture alive and help each other. For example, the Southwest Chinese Journal was a newspaper started in 1976. It helped new families learn about life in America and told them about local events. The On Leong Chinese Merchants Association helped newcomers by offering a place to stay and celebrating holidays together.

The Chinese Community Center at 9800 Town Park Dr. brings people together. It started in 1979 as a school. Now, it offers many classes, including English. The center also has programs and events for families. There are places for different religions, like churches and temples, near Chinatown. In 2022, a large mural showing many Asian cultures was created there by artist Thomas Tran, with help from over 200 volunteers.

Miss Chinatown Pageant

Since 1971, the Miss Chinatown Houston Pageant has given scholarships to young women of Chinese descent. It was started by the Chinese American Citizens Alliance Houston Lodge. The winners get to compete in the Miss Chinatown US pageant in San Francisco. The first winner was Cheelan Bo-Lin in 1971.