What should you call Seattle's Asian neighborhood? Here's one solution

By MARK HIGGINS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Quick, what's the name of the Asian neighborhood between the Kingdome andInterstate 5?

The International District, you say?

Wrong, contend Shiao-Yen Wu and May Wan, officers of Seattle'sChinese/Chinatown Chamber of Commerce.

They say it should be Chinatown/International District. And all too often,they say, the first part is chopped off for convenience in everydayconversation, media reports and even official city correspondence.

That's a loss, Wu and Wan argue: for the area's Chinese pioneers, who firstsettled the area around the turn of the century; for the identity of itspredominantly ethnic Chinese merchants; and for the area's tourism potential.

To reverse the trend, the two women have launched a petition drive to seeksupport from property owners, entrepreneurs, residents, workers and customersfor "the use of the name 'Chinatown' in all official communications andsignage."

Not everyone in the community supports the chamber's campaign.

Many ethnic Chinese merchants like the revival of the Chinatown namebecause they hope it will boost the area's appeal to potential customers,particularly with the prospect of a new baseball stadium and, perhaps, a newfootball stadium nearby.

But others in the district say the drive could polarize its diversepopulation.

Wu and Wan don't want to drop "International District" from thereference, just stem the further erosion of the use of "Chinatown," theysaid.

"Every day, we see more and more that the name is missing," said Wan, thechamber's Chinese American vice president. "What does International Districtmean? If you come here for dinner, are you going to have spaghetti?"

So far, they've gathered several thousand signatures. Their goal is to get10,000 and present them to the City Council, said Wu, the chamber's presidentand Chinese American.

City Council officials could not be reached for comment late yesterday, buta spokeswoman for Mayor Norm Rice said he would be happy to receive andconsider the proposal.

The name has long been subject to confusion and debate. The 44-block areaframed by Yesler Way on the north, Dearborn Street on the south, Fourth Avenueon the west and I-5 on the east was originally known as Chinatown. But in the1950s and '60s, it became known as the International District to recognize theother ethnic groups that live and work there, including Japanese, Filipinosand African Americans.

A smaller core within the district, which includes South King and SouthWeller streets and Maynard, Seventh and Eighth avenues, often is stillreferred to as Chinatown and is listed as such on the historical registry.

At least four green-and-white street signs mark the larger neighborhood asChinatown/International District, as do the names of several community-basedagencies.

But that hasn't stopped many Seattleites from calling the neighborhood"International District," Wu and Wan said.

"The name Chinatown has more or less been eliminated," Wan said.

Chin Ngo, the Chinese American co-owner of the Harbor City restaurant onSouth King Street, supports the women's campaign.

"It's a good cause," he said. "Everywhere else (in the UnitedStates) they have Chinatown. It would attract more people to thearea."

Assunta Ng, the Chinese American publisher of the Northwest Asian Weekly,agreed. "I support it. Why are we destroying what we've got?"

Tomio Moriguchi, the Japanese American chairman of the Uwajimaya grocerychain based in the district, said he welcomes the chamber's efforts to promoteChinatown/International District.

But it shouldn't ignore the substantial contribution made by ethnicJapanese, who dominated the area's retail trade until they were removed tointern camps before World War II and still own several businesses there, hesaid.

"You can't regulate" the use of a name, he said. "It would be difficultfor me to promote our business as being in Chinatown."

Ron Chew, executive director of the Wing Luke Asian Museum on SeventhAvenue South, said the Chinese chamber's campaign is too narrowly focused on the area's name and could polarize its diverse community.

Chinatown/International District needs an economic boost, but it would bebetter to pull its merchants together to formulate a comprehensive marketingplan that would also include such areas as Little Saigon, the Vietnameseretail cluster around 12th Avenue and Jackson Street.

"If business were different (better), the name wouldn't be an issue," hesaid.

Wu and Wan, who believe a better-marketed Chinatown could benefit allmerchants, said they don't intend the signature drive to become political, buta way to help achieve better marketing.

For instance, what about a gate at an entrance to the district, the sameway ethnic Asian neighborhoods are marked in such cities such as San Franciscoand Los Angeles?

Or, how about a sign on I-5 to direct travelers to Chinatown/InternationalDistrict? Wu asked.

"Chinatown/International District needs to be more together," she said.