From a Chinese laundry in 1874 to a spike of Vietnamese immigrants after the fall of Saigon, we searched for early references to Asians settling in Austin. Kuo, a local Taiwanese visual artist and muralist, blends styles and motifs from different cultures, creating an East-meets-West style. In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we'll mine the American-Statesman back issues for the first Austin-specific references to people from the Asia-Pacific region.
The earliest citation must refer to an individual, family or business in Austin. The first reference to Chinese residents in the city came in an 1874 advertisement for a first-class Chinese laundry on Pecan Street. The first big feature story on Korean immigrants by the Statesman was published in 1985 and focused on a family in North Texas, not Austin.
Syrians were first mentioned in 1906, with regular entries from Mexico through Laredo. Iranians began arriving in Texas during the 1970s during or after the unrest that led to the fall of the Shah. Journalists began to note Israeli immigrants in the 21st century in connection to high tech and the larger, growing Jewish community.
Arrivals from Vietnam spiked after the fall of Saigon in 1975, with many directed to the Texas coast. Signs of Vietnamese culture increased in Austin during the 1980s. The word "Vietnamese" does not appear in the newspaper until the 1940s, although the older name "Tonkinese" showed up by the 1920s.
Help us fill the gaps. If evidence of your Central Texas family goes back before the first references found, please let us know.