ULI San Francisco

Sandwiched between Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt, Oakland Chinatown’s current location with its densely populated, compact blocks may have resulted from exclusionary and racist laws stemming from the 19th century. But through the years, it has remained both a landing and launching pad for Asian immigrants to come into their own. One of the most striking features of Oakland Chinatown is its steady defiance against becoming an attraction or spectacle.