Day 340: Little Saigon, San Jose, California
📌APIA Every Day (340) - 📌APIA Every Day (340) - San Jose’s Little Saigon, centered around Story Road, began forming after the Fall of Saigon in 1975. Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, thousands of Vietnamese refugees settled in California, particularly drawn by the warm weather and expanding job market in the Bay Area. While Orange County’s Little Saigon (APIA Every Day 274) is home to the largest Vietnamese enclave in the United States, San Jose has the highest concentration of Vietnamese residents in a single city, with an estimated population of 180,000.
As early Vietnamese immigrants first began to settle in San Jose, they had access to pre-existing Asian businesses founded by the city’s Chinese and Japanese communities. Eventually, Vietnamese entrepreneurs started to form their own commercial corridor along Story Road, composed of various restaurants, supermarkets, and clothing stores. One of the first of these businesses was Lee’s Sandwiches, a banh mi franchise that now operates 60 locations nationwide, including 10 in San Jose. Another major chain, Phở Hòa, first established their original flagship store in the area in 1983.
In addition to individual restaurants, large commercial and entertainment centers also emerged in the district. In the 1980s, the Lion Plaza shopping mall opened on Tully Road and became a significant cultural gathering space to celebrate Vietnamese holidays like Tết. Other shopping centers followed this development in the 2000s, resulting in the construction of the Grand Century Mall and Vietnam Town. Several local Vietnamese radio and TV stations also operate out of the area, including Viên Thao and Vietoday.
In 2007, the community faced a divisive controversy as the city officials approved the designation of a business district along Story Road. Many Vietnamese residents wanted the new district to be named “Little Saigon” to honor Vietnam’s old capital while others proposed a more neutral “Vietnam Business District.” Then-Councilwoman Madison Nguyen settled on a compromise, voting for the creation of a “Saigon Business District.” Protests from the community, however, led to the name being rescinded in 2008. Residents continued lobbying for the Little Saigon moniker, installing street signs and monuments around the neighborhood, until San Jose officials eventually acknowledged the name in 2013.
Today, San Jose’s Little Saigon continues to exist as a thriving cultural and commercial community. Lingering challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, however, still negatively impact local businesses as they face reduced foot traffic. In response, revitalization efforts such as the Story Road Night Market, launched outside Grand Century Mall in 2024, aim to reinvigorate the district and preserve its cultural legacy.
Written by Avneet Dhaliwal
LEARN MORE:
EATER: How America's Biggest Vietnamese Community Made a Home in San Jose | MOFAD City
Pacific Atrocities Education: Little Saigons in America- A Home Away From Home
Little Saigons in the US: A story about community and adaptation from 1988 to 2024
SF Gate: Community splits over San Jose district name
The Mercury News: Finally, ‘Little Saigon’ banners fly over San Jose
San José Spotlight: San Jose Vietnamese businesses struggle to survive
KQED: San Jose’s Little Saigon Gets Its First Night Market
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