History of Chinese Americans in Metro Detroit

Ethnic Chinese and Chinese American people comprise one of the major Asian-origin ethnic groups in the Wayne–Macomb–Oakland tri-county area in Metro Detroit. Troy, Rochester Hills, Madison Heights and Canton Township are hubs of Chinese residents in the metropolitan area.^[1]

As of 2022, there are 21,000 ethnic Chinese in Oakland County, 5,200 in Wayne County, 2,500 in Macomb County.^[2] Chinese make up nearly two percent of Oakland County's population. The other counties' Chinese populations make up only 0.3-0.5% of their populations.

In the Greater Metro Detroit area, college town Ann Arbor also hosts an abundant Chinese community.

Within the city of Detroit, the area north of Downtown Detroit, including the region around the Henry Ford Hospital, the Detroit Medical Center, and Wayne State University, has transient Asian national origin residents who are university students or hospital workers; most of these Asians are Chinese and Indians. Few of them have permanent residency after schooling ends.^[3]

There are no Chinatowns in the Detroit area; the last one was losing its Chinese population and businesses, and was renovated with complete change by the mid-20th century. The largest still-operating Chinatown in proximity to Metro Detroit is located in the Chinatown of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.^[1]

^ ^a ^b "Best Chinese Arts & Culture Events In Detroit For The Lunar New Year." (Archive) CBS Detroit. January 23, 2012. Retrieved on December 3, 2013. "The largest Chinatown in the Detroit area is across the border in Windsor."
^ "ACS and Demographic Housing Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
^ Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 8. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

[CBSBest-1] "Best Chinese Arts & Culture Events In Detroit For The Lunar New Year." (Archive) CBS Detroit. January 23, 2012. Retrieved on December 3, 2013. "The largest Chinatown in the Detroit area is across the border in Windsor."

[2] "ACS and Demographic Housing Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 21, 2024.

[MetzgerBoozap8-3] Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 8. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.

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