The Houston area population includes a large number of people with Chinese ancestral backgrounds. According to the American Community Survey, as of 2013, Greater Houston (Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area) has 72,320 residents of Chinese origin.Collier, Kiah. "It's official: Air China to begin flights to Beijing." Houston Chronicle. January 15, 2013. Retrieved on April 21, 2013.
History The first Chinese to enter Houston were 250 men coming in 1870 to do construction work.Rodriguez, Nestor, p. 38. The Daily Houston Telegraph, in January of that year, stated that 247 Chinese docked in Galveston and went onwards in the region.Knapp and Vojnovic, p. 348 (PDF p. 5/27). The 1877 Houston City Directory listed three ethnic Chinese who worked in laundries,Chen and Harwell, p. 3. and the 1880 United States census, the first to count the Chinese in Houston, showed 7 Chinese residents in there. Anthony Knapp and Igor Vojnovic, authors of "Ethnicity in an Immigrant Gateway City: The Asian Condition in Houston", described the Chinese population of Houston at the time as being small.
A report stated that circa 1901 Houston had 43 ethnic Chinese. The Chinese Exclusion Act was made permanent in 1902, and this convinced some ethnic Chinese to abandon Houston, as the same report stated that the population was down to 27 that year. Nester Rodriguez, author of "Hispanic and Asian Immigration Waves in Houston," concluded that most of the original men from 1870 left Houston. The first Chinese business district opened in the early 1900s. The city government had a "Chinese inspector" to look for traces of illegal activities related to vices, and Knapp and Vojnovic wrote that Houstonians at the time felt threatened by the ethnic Chinese presence.Knapp and Vojnovic, p. 345 (PDF p. 2/27).
During the Great Depression, some Chinese moved from rural Mississippi to Houston. They had operated small stores in Mississippi but they decided to move because many of their previous clientele, African-Americans, left the state during the Great Migration.Brady, p. 20.
In the late 1930s there were fewer than 50 Chinese in Houston. At that time, most families of Chinese ethnicity operated restaurants and small groceries. They usually lived in residences behind their business or in residences on the upper floors of the buildings housing their businesses. Due to racial discrimination they were unable to join labor unions or obtain high-quality jobs.
The number of Chinese in Houston increased to 121 by the start of World War II. During the war, many Chinese from southern states migrated to take advantage of the economy and the population increased by more than twice its size. In addition, the Chinese Exclusion Act was revoked in 1943, and the Chinese Communist Revolution replaced the government in the Mainland in 1949, causing more people to leave China.Knapp and Vojnovic, p. 349 (PDF p. 6/27). The revolution and repeal prompted additional assimilation among those in Houston.Chew, Jessica, p. 23. However, there were still under 1,000 persons of Chinese origin in 1950 in the area,Cook, Allison. "The Grand Tour." Texas_Monthly. Emmis_Communications, January 1983. Vol. 11, No. 1. ISSN 0148-7736. START: p. 98. CITED: p. 111. with about 500 in the city. As ethnic Chinese could not gain entrance into professional schools at the time, the majority worked in businesses such as groceries and restaurants.Chen, Edward C. M., An American Chinese in Houston, p. 8.
In the early 1950s the Chinese Merchants' Association moved into an area in the southeastern edge of Downtown Houston in what is today East Downtown, and this Chinatown grew during the 1970s. This area is currently referred to as the "Old Chinatown", and still contains some notable landmarks including the original Kim Sơn restaurant. Many Chinese businesses have since moved out, and the area is currently undergoing re-development.Moreno, Jenalia. "Chinatown no longer." Houston_Chronicle. October 17, 2009. Retrieved on October 19, 2009.
In 1960 there were about 325 people in the city of Houston of Chinese origins. In the 1960s there were about 2,500 ethnic Chinese in the Houston area.Chen and Harwell, p. 5.
In the decade of the 1970s the first schools teaching the Chinese language appeared.
By 1983 there were about 30,000 people of Chinese origin in the Houston area. The first businesses of the new Houston Chinatown, located near Bellaire and Beltway 8, opened that year.Gray, Lisa. "Branding Chinatown: Neighborhood transforms." Houston_Chronicle. January 8, 2008. Retrieved on August 11, 2011. The new Chinatown began to expand in the 1990s when local Asian-American entrepreneurs moved their businesses from older neighborhoods, especially the "Old Chinatown" in a search for more inexpensive properties. Knapp and Vojnovic stated that by in the 1980s Houstonians, along with local media outlets and the government agencies, "touted" them "as a cultural and economic asset."
In 2000 the estimate of the Chinese American population in Houston was 24,000. Moises Mendoza of the Houston Chronicle said in 2010 that "the population is thought to have grown by tens of thousands" since the 2000 estimate.Mendoza, Moises. "With a roar, Houstonians ring in Chinese New Year." Houston_Chronicle. February 14, 2010. Retrieved on April 22, 2013.
In 2001 Gordon Quan, a member of the Houston City Council, urged Asian Americans and Chinese Americans to become more involved in politics.Zheng, Chunhua Zen. "Quan urges Chinese-Americans to become more active in politics." Houston Chronicle. Thursday June 28, 2001. ThisWeek 2. Retrieved on December 13, 2013.
Additional growth of the Chinese American community in Houston continued into the twenty-first century, supported by ongoing immigration and natural population increase. By the 2010s, Chinese Americans represented one of the largest Asian ethnic groups in the Houston metropolitan area, contributing significantly to the city’s economic and cultural development.
The expansion of Houston’s Chinatown along Bellaire Boulevard further strengthened the community’s economic presence, with hundreds of businesses including restaurants, supermarkets, and professional services serving both Chinese Americans and a broader multicultural population. This area has become one of the largest and most active Asian commercial districts in the southern United States.
In addition to economic contributions, Chinese Americans in Houston have increasingly participated in civic and political life. The election and public service of figures such as Gordon Quan reflects the growing political visibility of the community. Community organizations, cultural festivals, and educational institutions have also expanded, supporting both cultural preservation and integration into the broader Houston society.
Timeline
1870 – About 250 Chinese men arrived in the Houston area for construction work; the Daily Houston Telegraph reported that 247 Chinese laborers docked in Galveston and traveled onward. 1877 – The Houston City Directory listed three Chinese residents working in laundries. 1880 – The United States Census recorded 7 Chinese residents in Houston. 1901 – The Chinese population reached about 43 individuals. 1902 – The Chinese Exclusion Act was made permanent, contributing to a population decline to 27. 1930s – Chinese migrants moved from Mississippi to Houston during the Great Depression. Late 1930s – Fewer than 50 Chinese lived in Houston, most operating small businesses. 1943 – The Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed, allowing renewed immigration. 1949 – The Chinese Communist Revolution prompted additional migration from China. 1950 – Fewer than 1,000 people of Chinese origin lived in the Houston area, with about 500 in the city. Early 1950s – The Chinese Merchants' Association established itself in East Downtown, forming the early Chinatown. 1960 – About 325 Chinese lived in the city of Houston; about 2,500 in the metropolitan area. 1970s – Chinese language schools began to appear, and the original Chinatown expanded. 1983 – The Chinese population reached about 30,000; the new Chinatown near Bellaire Boulevard and Beltway 8 began to develop. 1990s – The new Chinatown expanded as businesses relocated from older areas. 2000 – The Chinese American population in Houston was estimated at about 24,000. 2001 – Houston City Council member Gordon Quan encouraged greater political participation among Chinese Americans.
Geography The first Chinatown in Houston was in the northern part of Downtown Houston. This shifted to what is the Old Chinatown by the 1970s as skyscrapers had replaced many of the buildings in northern Downtown.Knapp and Vojnovic, p. 350 (7/27). The New Chinatown began development in the 1980s.Knapp and Vojnovic, p. 354 (11/27).
Demographics According to the 2010 Census there were 43,940 persons of Chinese descent in Harris County, making up 15.7% of all Asians in the county.Klineberg and Wu, p. 12. This figure includes those with origins from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.Klineberg and Wu, p. 37. In 2010 the ethnic Chinese were the second largest Asian ethnic group in Fort Bend County, making up 21% of that county's Asians. As of the same year the ethnic Chinese were the second largest Asian ethnic group in Montgomery County.
Prior to the 1950s most Chinese in Houston were Cantonese people and often were not formally educated.Knapp and Vojnovic, p. 349 (PDF p. 6/27). In 1980 the ethnic Chinese were Harris County's largest Asian population. In 1990 there were 25,019 persons of Chinese/Taiwanese descent, making up 22.8% of the Asians in the county. By then the origins of ethnic Chinese, in addition to those from other parts of the U.S., were from Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. By 1990 the Chinese were Harris County's second largest Asian community after the Vietnamese. In 2000 there were 34,673 persons of Chinese/Taiwanese descent, making up 18% of the Asians in the county. If the Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi populations of Harris County are combined into a single group, then in 2000 the Chinese were the third largest Asian ethnic group, slightly behind the second-largest Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi group. From 2000 to 2010 the ethnic Chinese population in Harris County grew by 27%.
Transportation In 2013 Air China announced that it would begin nonstop service from Beijing to Houston. Xu Erwen (" 许尔文总领事会见波多黎各总督." (Archive) Consulate-General of China in Houston. Retrieved on April 21, 2013.), the consul general of the Consulate-General of China in Houston, said that the new flight "means a lot" to Houston's Chinese population.
In 2015 EVA Air began services to Taipei from Houston."New Taiwan-Houston flight launches on unique jet." Houston Business Journal. June 19, 2015. Retrieved on October 25, 2015. Mayor of Houston Annise Parker stated that the growing Asian population of Houston made this flight an important one."EVA Hello Kitty Shining Star Jet Lands in Houston ." Houston Airport System. June 19, 2015. Retrieved on October 25, 2015.
In 2004 China Airlines started a flight from Houston to Taipei stopping in Seattle, making it the first Asian carrier to fly to Houston.Hensel, Bill Jr. "2 foreign airlines curtailing Houston passenger service." Houston Chronicle. January 12, 2008. Retrieved on December 11, 2013. The airline stated that many Taiwanese companies had offices in Houston."CI To Inaugurate Taipei-Seattle-Houston Service." () China Airlines. May 12, 2004. Retrieved on December 11, 2013. In 2008, China Airlines announced that it was discontinuing service to Houston. When the China Airlines service was in operation the airline had a private bus service to Sugar Land and Southwest Houston Chinatown."Houston International Airport Bus Service," China Airlines. July 4, 2007. Retrieved on July 8, 2016.
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