Coalition for Growth: The Politics of Chinatown Development in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco

Chinatown can be found in almost every major American city, but their development trajectories vary significantly. During the past three decades, while some Chinatowns have achieved consistent economic growth, others have declined in population and commercial activities. What explains the diverse trajectories of Chinatown development? Through a comparative case study of Chinatowns in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, this dissertation argues that the variation in the trajectory of Chinatown development is contingent upon two major factors, namely, the internal cohesion of Chinatown elites (cohesive versus fragmented) and the political integration of the Chinese community into local politics (strong versus weak). Based on the two dimensions of internal cohesion and political integration, I propose a theoretical framework that categorizes Chinatown development into four ideal types: constrained development, shrinking neighborhood, contested development, and comprehensive development. Chinatown development is conceptualized not solely in terms of economic growth but as the expansion of the community’s collective freedom across three dimensions: economic growth, public goods provision, and social welfare. The findings reveal that the more cohesive Chinatown elites and the stronger the political integration, the more successful the Chinatown development. The typology provides an analytical framework to study the development of Chinatown and other ethnic communities beyond the cases.