Enclave, Place, or Nation?

Abstract

Since its birth in the 1970s, has emerged as a location of significance, not only for the Vietnamese diaspora, but also for Asian Americanists and social scientists interested in community formation. Despite the attention it continues to receive as one of Asian America's largest population centers and thriving economies, there remains little consensus—on the streets or in the literature—on what Little Saigon means, how it began, or where its boundaries, if any, may lie. As local governments in Houston and San Francisco have codified the name after its initial emergence in Orange County, California, others (e.g., Arlington, Seattle, New Orleans, Boston, Cabramatta in Australia) use on an informal basis. In some of these areas, the reach of has been decidedly multior pan-ethnic. Thus, as it emerges as a global brand, the effort to define Saigon—by binding it to a geographical area or single ethnic group—has become increasingly elusive.