The Sunset Chinese Cultural District (the “District”) is a robust, culturally rich neighborhood of working class families, many of which are multi-generational, with a special significance to the Chinese American community. In establishing the District, the City acknowledges the importance of recognizing the neighborhood’s history and preserving the legacy and traditions uniquely born in the Sunset. The District will recognize and memorialize the Chinese American experience in San Francisco, and will help to preserve and increase the depth and impact of the Chinese American legacy in the City.
The growth of the Sunset District as a major Chinese neighborhood is a reflection of government policies, international events, and an influx of immigrants seeking to call the Sunset home. Beginning in 1948, a few pioneering Chinese families moved to San Francisco from around the country, purchased homes, and opened businesses in the Sunset. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, many Chinese families left the crowded tenements of Chinatown – where they were once required by law to live – and purchased affordable single-family homes in the Sunset. Later waves of Chinese immigrants began arriving in the neighborhood in the 1960’s, following the enactment of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which lifted racial quotas and allowed for more non-European nationals to immigrate to the United States. The District saw an influx of Chinese immigrants after China’s 1978 emigration policy reform allowed large numbers of Chinese to leave the country. The 1997 Hong Kong sovereignty change led to another wave of new immigrants, many with sufficient wealth to purchase Sunset district homes.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1970, the Sunset was still 85% white. But a great migration was beginning. An estimated half of the properties sold in the Sunset in the 1970s were purchased by Chinese Americans. By 1975, 22% of public school students in the Sunset were Chinese American. Today, more than half of all residents of the Sunset identify as Chinese or Asian American.
The influence and vitality of Chinese culture can be found throughout the Sunset neighborhood. The commercial corridors on Irving, Noriega, and Taraval Streets and Central Sunset are lined with an abundant and unique mix of Chinese-owned businesses, including restaurants, cafes, bakeries, groceries and markets, hair salons, herb stores, and acupuncture clinics, providing the neighborhood with definitive Chinese character. The authentic and delicious Chinese food found in the Sunset is well known throughout San Francisco. The Sunset District offers all of the amenities that Chinese Americans view as part of their cultural heritage, leading people to refer to the Sunset as “Little Chinatown” or “Third Chinatown.”
Many businesses in the Sunset commercial corridors were not, as of 2020, listed in the San Francisco Legacy Business Registry, which recognizes businesses over 30 years old that have made a significant impact on neighborhood history or culture, but were qualified for recognition. Sunset Super, a supermarket opened in October 1940 and located at 2425 Irving Street, is still thriving and bustling today, providing mainly Chinese and Asian goods. Peking Restaurant at 1375 Noriega Street is family-owned, serving Shanghai and Sichuan food for over 40 years.
Wah Mei School is a vital part of the fabric and history of the local Sunset District community. Deeply rooted in the Asian American community, Wah Mei 
means “Chinese-America” and holds historic significance as the first bilingual school in San Francisco. Wah Mei was founded in 1974 by a group of community activists, bilingual educators, and parents, as Chinese American activists found their voice on critical issues in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement. In the 1974 landmark case of Lau vs. Nichols, the Supreme Court held that the school system’s failure to provide supplemental English language instruction to students of Chinese ancestry who spoke no English violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because it deprived those students of an opportunity to participate in the public education program. Wah Mei School is a San Francisco Legacy Business and an anchor institution that has served generations of San Francisco families. Some 8,500 San Francisco residents have graduated from Wah Mei School. The longevity of relationships in the community is evidenced by the intergenerational cycle of participation; many parents themselves were preschool graduates and their children now participate in the same programs.
means “Chinese-America” and holds historic significance as the first bilingual school in San Francisco. Wah Mei was founded in 1974 by a group of community activists, bilingual educators, and parents, as Chinese American activists found their voice on critical issues in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement. In the 1974 landmark case of Lau vs. Nichols, the Supreme Court held that the school system’s failure to provide supplemental English language instruction to students of Chinese ancestry who spoke no English violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because it deprived those students of an opportunity to participate in the public education program. Wah Mei School is a San Francisco Legacy Business and an anchor institution that has served generations of San Francisco families. Some 8,500 San Francisco residents have graduated from Wah Mei School. The longevity of relationships in the community is evidenced by the intergenerational cycle of participation; many parents themselves were preschool graduates and their children now participate in the same programs. Self-Help for the Elderly is another pivotal institution in the Sunset District serving Chinese American residents. Since 1966, this nonprofit community organization has provided culturally aligned services and programs to promote independence, well-being, dignity and more purposeful lives for seniors. Self-Help for the Elderly’s South Sunset Senior Center at 2601 40th Avenue is dedicated to maximizing self-sufficiency, safety, health, and independence for seniors so they can remain living in the Sunset District for as long as possible with the highest quality of life.
North East Medical Services (NEMS) operates several health care clinics in the Sunset District, serving a medically underserved population; 93% of NEMS patients are of Asian descent, a majority of whom are uninsured or low-income. NEMS offers linguistically-competent and culturally-sensitive health care services in many languages and dialects, including Cantonese, Mandarin, Toishan, Vietnamese, Burmese, Korean, Spanish, and Hindi. The multilingual and culturally-competent staff help patients to express themselves in a familiar environment. Health education programs, many of which bridge the gap between Western and Asian medical practices, are available at the clinic and through weekly radio broadcasts on local Chinese media. The programs address preventative health care education and practices as it relates to the cultural needs of the community.
Chinese Hospital is another important part of the Asian medical infrastructure in the Sunset District. It operates the Sunset Health Services neighborhood clinic, located at 1800 31st Avenue, which improves access to outpatient care in the Westside of San Francisco. The hospital has a rich history, dating back to the late-1800s, when it began providing health care services to the underserved Chinese community in Chinatown who faced discrimination and limited access to public services. As more and more patients migrated from Chinatown to other neighborhoods, Chinese Hospital recognized the community’s growing need for improved health care access and opened a number of community clinics.
Great Wall Hardware, located at 1821 Taraval Street, is a San Francisco Legacy Business established in 1983 by Robert and Mariana Chow. This family-owned store prides itself on having over 20,000 items for sale, including electrical, garden, painting, plumbing, cleaning, hardware, tools, and lumber. Albert Chow is Great Wall’s current owner and son of original owners Robert and Mariana Chow. Born and raised in San Francisco, Albert Chow moved with his family from Chinatown to the Sunset once they had enough money to start the hardware store. Great Wall’s exterior Chinese language sign reflects the large Chinese-speaking population in the Sunset, and the business’s commitment to maintaining Chinese culture in the district.
The Sunset District is home to a significant number of religious organizations that cater to a diverse array of faiths including Buddhism, Presbyterianism, and Evangelism. Sunset Church, Sunset Ministry, San Francisco Chinese Alliance Church, Hope Evangelical Free Church, San Francisco Chinese Baptist Church, First United Presbyterian Church, and Lutheran Church–Holy Spirit serve diverse and multilingual faith communities, with a history of expanding their missions and congregations to include Asian immigrants. Tzu Chi, in the mid-Sunset, is part of an international Buddhist organization that engages volunteers in providing humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and in addressing health and medical needs, including supplying masks to front-line workers during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Sunset has demonstrated a commitment to celebrating Chinese culture with large public events such as the 2020 Lunar New Year Celebration held at Jefferson Elementary School, which featured live performances and demonstrations by the San Francisco Sunset Ladies’ Dance Team, Wah Mei School, Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy, and traditional lion dances by Panda Kung Fu Center. The Autumn Moon Festival (held on Irving Street until 2017) featured booths, merchants, music, traditional lion dance and arts. The Sunset Community Festival is held annually at various locations in the Sunset, such as Sunset Recreation Center and other recreation centers.
The Sunset is also home to smaller cultural gatherings. At West Sunset Playground, the weekends are filled with traditional and cultural dancers, tai chi, and chi gong. And the tennis courts at Coppin Square and at Parkside Square are a place where local residents gather for group exercise and to be outdoors.
The history and legacy of Chinese Americans in the Sunset District was featured in the Chinese Historical Society of America’s exhibit called “Chinese In the Sunset,” which has been shown at the Chinese Historical Society of America in Chinatown, the Sunset Recreation Center, the San Francisco Public Library at the Main Branch, Ortega and North Beach branches, and the Western Neighborhood Projects. The exhibit highlights the history of racial restrictions preventing Chinese and other people of color from living in the Sunset; the impact of the 1960’s civil rights movement on racial restrictions and housing mobility; and how the diversity of perspectives within the community have led the Sunset to become the vibrant community it is today.
In recent years, the Sunset has faced challenges that threaten the long-term sustainability of this uniquely important ethnic community, and the legacy of Chinese Americans in the Sunset is now in jeopardy.
Most Sunset Chinese households are moderate income immigrant families including a high proportion of multi-generational households. As Sunset District housing costs have skyrocketed over the past decade, fewer moderate income Chinese families have been able to afford to buy a home or rent a family-sized apartment in the neighborhood. The Sunset Chinese community faces an uncertain future, with recent demographic and economic trends potentially leading to long-term displacement and gentrification.
In addition, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, there has been a disturbing rise in anti-Asian violence and racism in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Sunset. In response to anti-Asian hate, a March for AAPI Solidarity + Safety event was held on April 18, 2021 at the Great Highway, calling for collective solidarity, community safety, and healing, and demonstrating the Sunset District’s importance as a region for Asian American social activism and direct action.
Chinese American resilience in the face of racism and discrimination has transformed the Sunset into the dynamic and vibrant neighborhood it is today. Establishment of the District will recognize and honor the important history of the Chinese American community and the contributions of those who transformed the Sunset neighborhood in the past, laying the foundations for its current and future importance to Chinese American culture.
(Added by Ord. 121-21, File No. 210599, App. 8/4/2021, Eff. 9/4/2021)