Southeast Asian Place-Making in Charlotte, North Carolina

In the United States, the media often does not thoroughly incorporate the life experiences of its Asian residents. To make matters worse, the narratives that are seldomly portrayed are riddled with inaccuracies and cause large misconceptions to what the average Asian-American endures. With a rapidly growing population, it is vital that American society makes more of an effort to incorporate real Asian-American narratives, and to become aware of the struggles that these people face when trying to establish a sense of place.

The Asian corner mall of Charlotte, North Carolina has demonstrated how thousands of people of various cultures can come together in one setting to share common experiences and cultivate a sense of place that offers them comfort and familiarity. This mall has functioned as an incubator for immigrant-owned businesses that continue to serve the community and introduce many new types of cuisine to Charlotte. Perhaps the most well-known establishment within the mall is Le’s (pronounced as “Lay”) banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich shop that has been in operation since 1994 and has maintained a reputation as the best banh mi in town (Kosma, 2019)!

At some time between the mid-90s and early 2000s, Asian businesspeople invested in the dead mall. To combat the damage from being vacant and vulnerable, they renovated some features of the mall such as flooring and paints. The external portion of the mall was remodeled to fit the Asian aesthetic and appeal to Asian groups. On the other hand, infrastructural features like the parking lot have long been neglected.

Demographics of the customers shifted from the industrial working-class to primarily Southeast Asian. Vietnamese and Thai wording marks the majority of stores that currently occupy the space. Current tenants comprise a variety of international markets, Vietnamese skincare, a nail technician academy, and even a restaurant supply store. There are several establishments where visitors can grab fresh Asian cuisines such as Cantonese, Chinese baked goods, and a variety of Vietnamese foods.  

When the foreign businesspeople invested in this dead mall, they had the intention of it working as a community center for those of Asian descent in the Charlotte area. While it may not look like much to the average outsider, many Asian-Americans of the Charlotte metropolitan area see this building as a place that provides representation and access to a variety of cultural items, ingredients, and cuisines.

As mentioned above, this Asian-owned mall has provided the Charlotte metropolitan area with access to a variety of new foods. These foods range from things as simple as pantry ingredients to complex dishes such as pho. Regardless, access to these foods has encouraged culinary tourism from other local groups.

Along with culinary tourism, those of Asian (especially Southeast Asian in the context of this mall) descent have local access to familiar foods. While these dishes may or may not be exactly what they are akin to from their mother country, having the ability to consume them provides the opportunity to build a better sense of place. Anyone can build this through their experiences, but having a blend between familiar and foreign is better than having to adapt to a setting that is completely new to an individual (Hill, 2019).

In foodscapes, one of the many goals that should be aimed to be achieved is the concept of "food sovereignty." In many communities, especially those in poverty or of foreign and/or indigenous descent, people do not have much of a say in what they consume. This issue affects the identity of an individual by not allowing them to fully express themselves through the foods they eat and inhibit their access to such foods. There is a wide variety of ways that communities have attempted to combat this such as growing and harvesting traditional foods and distributing these foods amongst others in these communities (Daigle, 2019). Asian Corner allows those of Asian descent to take more control over what they consume and to have access to these foods that have a deep association with what they deem as traditional, familiar, and "home."

Not only is there an Asian enclave to the near North of the mall, but the surrounding neighborhoods are also very diverse and the businesses that fill Sugar Creek and Tryon are the proof of this. Businesses such as restaurants, markets, food trucks, urban gardens, and even religious places line the street. Each one proudly displaying the culture it represents.

Directly in front of the mall is a popular grocery store for migrants, as Compare Foods carries a plethora of ethnic foods ranging from Asia, Latin America, and even Africa. While the mall always appears to be deserted, this smaller market exhibits a parking lot full of all kinds of people. This is an indicator of strong diversity within this community as it is rich in various cultures. Below is a map indicating some of the different ethnically owned businesses.

When doing a field survey of the site and situation of the mall (which will later be explored in this story map), the prevalence of ethnic-owned businesses was astounding. The variety of regions represented just within a three-mile radius of the place ranges from all across the globe. These businesses also represent different aspects of the Charlotte foodscape. An African community garden denotes a place for people to come together to grow food, a Halal market provides the local populations with Halal-fair the same way it provides the local community with Asian-fair. Each establishment denotes a need and fulfillment in this highly variated ethnic community.

Since the mall was acquired under new ownership, there has been a lack of upkeep apart from the initial cosmetic fixes of the mall. Today, the mall sits with dirty floors, a littered front, and an extremely water-damaged parking lot. While this discredits the businesses and deters "outsiders" from going in, it is safe to say that those who have been going to the mall all of these years, do not plan to stop. The dilapidation of the mall has gotten so bad, there are even squatter settlements beginning to form in front of the Northern entrance. What's more, as this mall grows worse by the year, the surrounding neighborhood has already begun to fall into gentrification. Luxury apartments and homes worth nearly half a million are springing up here and there on the outskirts of the surrounding area of the mall.

Right in the center of the Asian Corner, lies what many refer to as "the best banh mi" in the Charlotte area. Le's has been especially popular amongst This delicious sandwich is a popular street food that originates from Vietnam during the time of the French occupation in the country. This dish marries French and Vietnamese foods by combining baguettes with a variety of light and hearty fillings. Traditionally, the fillings within the bread comprise of meats, paté, pickled vegetables (mostl commonly carrots and daikon), and fresh sprigs of cilantro (Knoblauch, 2014). It is a very refreshing dish that can now be found all over the globe due to its popularity. Where there is Vietnamese, there is Banh Mi!

Le's banh mi started off as a way to have something familiar in a setting that was still foreign. Le Nguyen, a Vietnamese woman who migrated to the United States after the fall of Saigon, began her sandwich business at home. She would make banh mi from the ingredients she had available, often using American deli meats to substitute for the traditional cold cuts. She soon noticed the growing Vietnamese population in Charlotte and sold her sandwiches to those who craved the flavors from home. With the help of her husband Minh, she was able to open her first banh mi shop on Central Avenue. Eventually, Le got tied up being a mother and wife and chose to close her store to focus on family. She later was able to devote herself to her works once again and opened her new store at her current location within the Asian Corner Mall (Le Thi Le Nguyen et al, 2020).

A common misconception about this Sandwich shop is that Minh is "Mr. Le," because he often works the cash register and is seen as the face of the store. The real Le stays behind the scenes as she makes her sandwiches. Le, Minh, and their son Tuan have been running their current location together and have seen the city around them reshape and change around them. They have also developed an intimate relationship with the people that live here as those who muster the courage to visit the shop once, often come back (Le Thi Le Nguyen, 2020).

Perhaps the most impressive thing about this story is that Le did not know any recipes before coming to the United States. She intuitively came up with them on her own as a way to "recover" the flavors that remind her of Vietnam (Le Thi Le Nguyen, 2020).

"It was a survival thing, I guess, from what she was saying, because it's a family thing." -Tuan Nguyen, son of Le Nguyen

The below button provides a link to read the full oral history behind Le's Sandwiches and Cafe.

The sandwich shop has now become a staple in Charlotte cuisine as it is impossible to talk about Charlotte banh mi without bringing up Le's Sandwiches and Cafe. And if you do not bring up Le's you likely are not from Charlotte. Unlike the rest of Asian Corner Mall, this shop has thrived and maintained itself well (Kosma, 2019). When conducting the field study, this shop had actually improved in condition as it was obvious there was an investment in how it presents itself and the equipment inside.

Below is a link that shows the details behind the company. It is important to note that for the majority of Le's career, she has held her employees to be primarily family and no one else. This indicates the business as something entirely their own and a way to genuinely bring their product to their community as 100% from their hearts and ideas.

Like any other ethnic group, there are many push and pull factors that bring them to the States. This can take shape through the desire for better jobs/pay, political turmoil in the Motherland, wanting to be with family that has already established themselves within the States. At the current rate, it is projected the Asian American population will be approximately 9% by the year 2050 (Kaplan, Holloway, & Wheeler, 2014).

The Vietnam war was a large contributor to Asian immigration. Not only to the United States, but also within Asian and other regions. After the war, millions of people were displaced and forced to live in refugee camps. Individual migration and programs helped to bring these people to the States as a way to get them out of such poor living standards seen within these camps (Kaplan, Holloway, & Wheeler, 2014).

Asian Americans are very urbanized as approximately 95% live within major municipalities (Kaplan, Holloway, & Wheeler, 2014). This allows them to have better outlook for opening businesses for within and out of their communities as they have a higher concentration of those within their community, like how Le identified the need for banh mi in the Charlotte metropolitan area.

It is no secret that the United States is in the midst of a large wave of immigration. But according to the primary media (news and social media), it is always portrayed as Latin Americans going to the States "illegally." The truth is, there is a wide variety of people arriving in the States legally and illegally every day. These people come from various regions all across the globe from all continents. Asia, the largest continent on the planet is no shy contributor to this modern wave of immigration (Jimenez & Horowitz, 2013).

The issue with this revolves around the lack of various perspectives included especially within the United States media. When it comes to the Asian American perspective, it is not often represented/included. When these narratives are included, it often leads to misconceptions about these people that bring tension between Asian Americans and other groups.

For example, Asians are frequently termed the "model minority." This term dates back all the way to the 1960s to describe the "high success rates" amongst Asian Americans. While some groups often think of this term as a compliment, it was originally used as an indirect way to insult African American communities. This term was utilized not to empower any group, but as a way to belittle African American communities and make them identify Asian Americans as competition. This stereotype portrays Asians as complicit, submissive, and well-behaved, as a way to say that other ethnic groups are not (Alvarez, Juang, & Liang, 2006).

Along with the harmful portrayal of being a model minority, there are a plethora of other stereotypes that perpetuate tension, envy, and competitive attitudes from other groups (including white people). Just to name a few:

• Asian men are portrayed as feminine, homosexual, and weak (Knopp,2020).
• Asian women are highly sexualized (Prasso, 2006).
• Asians in general are "good at math" (Trytten, Lowe, & Walton, 2012).
• Asians in general eating "weird" foods.
• Asians in general are responsible for COVID-19 (Ho, 2021).
• Asians in general are unsanitary.
• Asians in general are wealthy.
• Asians in general are "exotic" (Prasso, 2006).

Below are two videos that spark interesting conversations about how Asians themselves feel as they portray themselves. This film was highly controversial in the way it represents Asians by an Asian himself, director Jon M. Chu. The first video is the trailer, where many of the above stereotypes can be observed. The second video is a Ted Talk with the director about his perspectives and logic behind the film.

This abundance of stereotypes has historically led to micro-aggressions and racist acts towards Asians yet the lack of representation and coverage does not discuss this. These micro-aggressions often take place within "safe" settings. Such as in schools. Asian children often have a "lunch-box" moment where their traditional foods are scrutinized by other children, shaming them for taking part in their heritage. There is also a common microaggression that takes place in lots of settings like "where are from?.....No, where are you really from?" (Wing, Bucceri, Lin, Nadal, & Torino, 2007).

Unfortunately, it gets much worse than that....with the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in racism geared towards Asian Americans. Vandalism, harassment, and even murders have occurred as this group has been continuously blamed for the pandemic by the ex-president of the United States, Donald Trump (Ho, 2021).

The Asian population is growing at a rate faster than many other groups. These people contribute so much to society by bringing diversity and businesses that share their culture with others. Regardless, it is unfair and discriminatory for these people to not have the representation, accurate narratives, and ability to develop a sense of place. The limited access to such resources coupled with the racism geared towards these people makes it incredibly difficult for them to create a space where they are comfortable and feel safe and accepted by the surrounding community (Weng, 2016).

Having places such as Asian Corner and Le's Sandwich shop permits these people to have a place to come together and share what they enjoy and are familiar with not only amongst themselves, but also with those who are unfamiliar. Making the world a better place starts with understanding one another and that starts with sharing experiences, cultures, and livelihoods with others (in a non-appropriative way).

Charlotte, like several other Southeastern States cities, is experiencing a sharp influx of various migrant groups. These people come to the States for many reasons and having equal opportunity to feel accepted and welcome is what the United States is supposed to be about. But with the hardships of coming to America, it is often challenging for these people to develop an individual sense of place as easily as other groups such as whites and non-first generation peoples. Not only do these people face the difficulties of moving to a completely new home, but also dealing with racism, stereotypes, microaggressions, and discrimination.

To have access to places and foods that permit a developing sense of place, allows these people the right of food sovereignty and to maintain traditions within their cultures and the ability to keep in touch with their heritage. In a world that is so globalized, this is easier than ever yet there is a long way to go still.

Asian Corner and Le's Sandwiches and Cafe were amongst some of the first and few locations to bring visibility of Asian residents to the Charlotte area. While the building is in much decline, the people are thriving and spreading their cuisines throughout the city. When choosing to support the Asian corner, a customer is not only supporting a locally owned shop, they are also supporting the faces behind them that crave acceptance, community, and a place to call home.