About the Neighborhood
Community members, organizations and businesses have different perspectives as to what boundaries define the CID. For the purpose of this packet, authors chose to use the boundaries shown on the map above, which was produced by the Chinatown International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA).2 The CID boundaries east of Interstate 5 (I-5) are South Main Street to the north, South Dearborn Street to the south and Rainier Ave South to the east. The CID boundaries west of I-5 include Yesler Way to the north, South Dearborn Street to the South and 4th Avenue South to the west. 3
It is important to note that culture and community development often do not fit within physical boundaries; some organizations, businesses or individuals profiled in this packet had a major influence, and may continue to influence the CID, yet but do not reside within these boundaries.
The Chinatown International District has “ always been a welcoming place for immigrants and those looking to make a better life for themselves. Nowhere else can you find so many different cultures coming together to form one neighborhood.”
- Chinatown International District Website 1
This section of the website provides an in-depth overview of the city of Seattle’s Chinatown International District (CID). Unlike Chinatowns in other major U.S. cities, the CID is a cultural hub for many Pan-Asian communities and has been shaped over the last 100 years by Chinese, Filipino, Japanese and Italian immigrants; African-Americans; and Southeast Asian refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.