By: | Examiner Staff Writer 07/21/11 1:00 PM
Nellie Lee of Springfield, VA, right, and other customers shop at Shilla, a Korean Bakery, in Annandale.-Andrew Harnik/Examiner
Strong schools, high-tech sector draw communities Nearly two-thirds of Virginia's booming Asian population lives in Northern Virginia, a surge largely caused by swells in the Korean and Indian populations over the last decade, Census Bureau data on Virginia's Asian population released Thursday show.
Since the rush began more than two decades ago, Fairfax County has solidified itself as the nexus of the state's Korean population with more than 60 percent of Virginia's Korean residents, or about 41,000, now calling it home. Its overall Asian population has climbed more than 50 percent since 2000 to account for about one-fifth of the county's one million residents.
Meanwhile, Loudoun County and its high-tech sector have been the target for the surging Indian community, which has grown more than 750 percent in 10 years and now accounts for roughly half of the county's Asian population.
Indians, as well as Chinese, also have been drawn to Montgomery County's high-tech companies. However, the Asian population growth there has been secondary to the rise of the Hispanic population.
Northern Virginia's boom has been helped by its business-friendly environment.
"It used to be a lot of Koreans had businesses in D.C. like grocery or liquor stores," said Jonathan Lee, who opened Korean Bakery in Annandale 23 years ago. "But most lived out here because of the good [public] education."
In the early 1990s, few businesses served Annandale's Korean community. But now the town center on Little River Turnpike has the nickname Koreatown, and every business sign is written in English and Korean. Most establishments and many commercial properties are owned by Korean-Americans.
"It's very popular here," Lee said. "There's not many [commercial] vacancies."
Many businesses are now opening in Centreville as Koreans move farther out into the suburbs. The two towns now account for more than one-quarter of the county's Korean population. Over the last decade, Fairfax's Korean population has increased by more than 13,000 or nearly 50 percent. It's more than doubled since 1990.
Larry Shinagawa, an Asian-American studies professor at the University of Maryland, said Korean communities tend to be concentrated.
"When there is a community there, they tend to build up on the basis of ethnic solidarity much more than others," he said. "Typically you'll see that in a lot of ways -- attachments at schools, enterprise, residential patterns."
He added that Northern Virginia's business tax rates are more favorable than the Maryland suburbs, which is why Northern Virginia's Korean community tends to be more enterprising.
"Maryland is different in that [Koreans] ... tend to be in government, science, or banking or law," Shinagawa said. "They tend to be more dispersed but also tend to be much more highly educated."
More detailed Maryland data on the Asian community has not been released.
Meanwhile in Loudoun, jobs are attracting new Indian residents thanks to the high-tech boom there. Major employers with more than 1,000 employees in Loudoun include AOL Inc., Verizon Business and Orbital Sciences Corp.
Indian-Americans now account for close to half of the county's Asian population, up from one-quarter a decade ago. Fairfax and Loudoun counties alone combine for more than half of Virginia's entire Indian population, with about 64,000 residents between them.
Shinagawa estimates that Indians have the highest incomes of Asian-Americans.
"The Indian is often highly educated and most are not involved in small businesses," he said. "The South Asian community is very, very strong in cell phone technology and security and Loudoun County is exactly where the burgeoning industry is in that area."
Since the rush began more than two decades ago, Fairfax County has solidified itself as the nexus of the state's Korean population with more than 60 percent of Virginia's Korean residents, or about 41,000, now calling it home. Its overall Asian population has climbed more than 50 percent since 2000 to account for about one-fifth of the county's one million residents.
Meanwhile, Loudoun County and its high-tech sector have been the target for the surging Indian community, which has grown more than 750 percent in 10 years and now accounts for roughly half of the county's Asian population.
| Northern Virginia has monopoly on state's Asian communities | ||||||||
| Total | Total | % of all | 10-year | Total | 10-year | Total | 10-year | |
| population | Asian | residents | change | Korean | change | Indian | change | |
| Fairfax | 1.08m | 189,661 | 17.5% | 51% | 41,356 | 48% | 43,956 | 71% |
| Loudoun | 312,311 | 46,033 | 14.7% | 408% | 4,386 | 397% | 19,822 | 752% |
| Prince William | 402,002 | 30,317 | 7.5% | 183% | 4,747 | 180% | 5,853 | 210% |
| Arlington | 207,627 | 19,931 | 9.6% | 22% | 1,849 | 18% | 4,154 | 25% |
| Alexandria | 139,966 | 8,432 | 6.0% | 16% | 1,143 | -14% | 1,761 | 8% |
| Virginia | 8.00m | 439,890 | 5.5% | 69% | 70,577 | 56% | 103,916 | 113% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau | ||||||||
Northern Virginia's boom has been helped by its business-friendly environment.
"It used to be a lot of Koreans had businesses in D.C. like grocery or liquor stores," said Jonathan Lee, who opened Korean Bakery in Annandale 23 years ago. "But most lived out here because of the good [public] education."
In the early 1990s, few businesses served Annandale's Korean community. But now the town center on Little River Turnpike has the nickname Koreatown, and every business sign is written in English and Korean. Most establishments and many commercial properties are owned by Korean-Americans.
"It's very popular here," Lee said. "There's not many [commercial] vacancies."
Many businesses are now opening in Centreville as Koreans move farther out into the suburbs. The two towns now account for more than one-quarter of the county's Korean population. Over the last decade, Fairfax's Korean population has increased by more than 13,000 or nearly 50 percent. It's more than doubled since 1990.
Larry Shinagawa, an Asian-American studies professor at the University of Maryland, said Korean communities tend to be concentrated.
"When there is a community there, they tend to build up on the basis of ethnic solidarity much more than others," he said. "Typically you'll see that in a lot of ways -- attachments at schools, enterprise, residential patterns."
He added that Northern Virginia's business tax rates are more favorable than the Maryland suburbs, which is why Northern Virginia's Korean community tends to be more enterprising.
"Maryland is different in that [Koreans] ... tend to be in government, science, or banking or law," Shinagawa said. "They tend to be more dispersed but also tend to be much more highly educated."
More detailed Maryland data on the Asian community has not been released.
Meanwhile in Loudoun, jobs are attracting new Indian residents thanks to the high-tech boom there. Major employers with more than 1,000 employees in Loudoun include AOL Inc., Verizon Business and Orbital Sciences Corp.
Indian-Americans now account for close to half of the county's Asian population, up from one-quarter a decade ago. Fairfax and Loudoun counties alone combine for more than half of Virginia's entire Indian population, with about 64,000 residents between them.
Shinagawa estimates that Indians have the highest incomes of Asian-Americans.
"The Indian is often highly educated and most are not involved in small businesses," he said. "The South Asian community is very, very strong in cell phone technology and security and Loudoun County is exactly where the burgeoning industry is in that area."
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