There’s a Chinatown in Manhattan, a Chinatown in Brooklyn and even something of a Chinatown in Flushing, Queens.<\/p>\n
And while there are more and more Asians living on Staten Island today than ever before, the borough still doesn’t have one:<\/p>\n
“There’s no spot only for Asian people,” said resident Jane Silveray. “It’s spread out.”<\/p>\n
Staten Island has an Asian food market in Chelsea, the only one of its kind on the island. It draws many shoppers looking for particular spices and produce.<\/p>\n
The overwhelming number of its patrons are Asian immigrants, looking to find the foods of their native countries.<\/p>\n
While some say they still travel off the island to Brooklyn and Manhattan to do their shopping, many cite the high cost of tolls and transportation as a reason to frequent this store and not leave the island.<\/p>\n
Still, some wish the borough offered more amenities to its growing Asian population.<\/p>\n
“Grocery stores, more grocery stores,” said resident Jackie Ling. “And some kind of Chinese restaurants, like little, what we call a Hong Kong-style cafeteria. That would be very nice.”<\/p>\n
While much of the island’s Asian population is spread out all over the borough, Mosel Avenue in Concord is home to a high concentration of Chinese immigrants.<\/p>\n
About 10 years ago, NY1 News talked to residents about the convenience of having a Chinatown in their own backyard, though the idea hasn’t drawn much traction.<\/p>\n
Community leaders say part of the challenge of creating a Chinatown on Staten Island is finding a location for it. They point to the borough’s reputation as a place where people can buy a home and not necessarily as a place where it’s easy for new immigrants to start a business.<\/p>\n
“This is comfortable to live here,” said activist George Lee. “But is not comfortable to make a business in here. That’s the problem.”<\/p>\n
Residents say they’d love to change that but say they need help from their elected officials to do so.<\/p>\n
They say if public money was spent to build an Asian school or senior center, Asian businesses would form around them and a Chinatown would be born.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.ny1.com\/content\/special_reports\/asianamerican_heritage_week_2012\/161733\/asian-american-week–booming-asian-american-population-in-si-wants-chinatown<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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