Asian Roots in City Heights

Kyla Le

About the author - Kyla Le is a college student, Class 2025, at University of San Diego.  She was a recipient of ACA Scholarship for this research project.  Kyla was interested in learning more about City Heights, a neighborhood in San Diego where Kyla grew up.    This is her story based on her research and interviews of three business owners in City Heights. 
About the Program - This story is part of a research series aimed to document the history of Asian immigrants in business.  This program is in collaboration with Dr. Yi Sun, Professor of History Department, University of San Diego.  Dr. Sun advises the student interns in topic selection, interview preparation, and final research paper and presentation.  ACA is deeply grateful to Dr. Sun for her dedication to this program and her care for the API community. 
Kyla also received guidance from Dr. David Miller, who directs the internship program in the History Department, USD.

Introduction of the Project
City Heights is a place where one could walk down the sidewalk and smell the fresh sambusas as they are being made, hear the chatter of the older Asian community as they gossip after church, see the vibrant murals painted on the walls of supermarkets and beauty supply stores, taste the sweet and salty chamangos on a hot day, and feel the sun grazing their faces as they walk past familiar strangers. It is a community filled to the brim with diversity. Nevertheless, despite its overwhelming variety of inhabitants that make this neighborhood one of the most diverse in San Diego, it is severely overlooked by those who do not live in the same community. As this community is my home, I speak from a place of experience: I desire to bring more awareness to its value and the people and businesses that occupy it. Although City Heights perhaps began as– according to the Union-Tribune– “the rotting core of America’s finest city,” in recent years, it has begun to break the stigma of being an impoverished community of immigrants and begun its transformation into a community that thrives because of that very diversity. By carrying out this project, I hope to call more attention to the importance City Heights holds in the broader community of San Diego and bring more recognition to the significance that Asian businesses have in this community. 1
For many people, Convoy Street is primarily known as the Asian Hub of San Diego, but City Heights is equally as vibrant in its variety of Asian businesses. Not only does City Heights not surpass Convoy on the socioeconomic scale, but it also lacks the recognition of many in San Diego. This project partnered with the Alliance for Chinese-Americans– an organization that promotes awareness of the importance of Asian communities– is meant not only to acknowledge the role that the Asian community plays in adding to the diversity of City Heights but also to examine the many obstacles that hinder these businesses from succeeding, especially in comparison to other better-developed and financially well-off communities. By doing so, I hope to encourage more people to bring their business to this community and motivate them to learn more about why this community deserves recognition. 
            By working with the Alliance for Chinese-Americans, this project is meant to share the stories of some of the Asian businesses in City Heights through the lens of historical events and personal experiences. However, to fully understand these individual Asian businesses, it is first necessary to understand the broader context of City Heights and its rich history.
 
Introduction of City Heights History: What is the significance of City Heights?
            It is entirely appropriate to call City Heights a melting pot of cultures. Home to over 75,000 residents, 41% are foreign-born from over 30 different countries: therefore, the community of City Heights is one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in San Diego County. In it resides outstanding communities of Somali, Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Latino inhabitants. 2 
            The origins of this neighborhood as we know it today began in the 1970s after many refugees fled to City Heights, most of whom were displaced due to the Vietnam War. Since the fall of Saigon in 1975, most of City Height's immigrant population has been composed of political refugees. During the 1980s to the 1990s, the neighborhood became more and more like a "city of immigrants," many of which came from Mexico, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and South America. Low rental rates prevalent in City Heights attracted refugees displaced due to political upheavals and civil wars. 3
            However, from the 1970s to the 1990s, the community saw relatively high crime rates. As crime rates increased, customers were threatened away and financial assistance to the community decreased, further exacerbating the difficulties that both residents and business owners faced. Due to their low socioeconomic statuses, many small businesses did not have the funds to recover from the loss of customer influx. In addition, overcrowding in schools and homes permeated the community, and financial issues worsened. Although City Heights has the highest concentration of non-profit groups in San Diego County, there seems to be little to no tangible evidence of an improvement in the lives of City Heights residents. Since 2000, more than $265 million has been poured into the community of 70,000 residents by two organizations alone (Price Philanthropies and the California Endowment). However, despite the large number of funds infused into the community– when looking at the community in its entirety– it performs worse than the county average in terms of income, employment, obesity rates, educational outcomes, crime, and many other demographics. Since the state of emergency declared in City Heights almost two decades ago, the community is still digging out from its legacy of "overcrowding and disinvestment." 4
In the 1990s, a CalTrans incident bulldozed an 8-lane trench running Interstate 15 right through the middle of the City Heights neighborhood. This was a "smack in the face" for residents who lacked housing facilities, but now, there was no room for parks, libraries, or any other necessary amenities for their youth. Furthermore, crime had reached its peak when the community's own business association advertised billboards with the plea "Welcome to City Heights, Crime Capital of San Diego. Won't Anybody Help?" It is not difficult to imagine the impact these signs had on the older residents and the new generation of youth who desired to create change in their community. With the ongoing stigma surrounding the neighborhood, it is difficult to believe that reversing generations of disinvestment would be possible for this community. Nonetheless, it is essential to look past the lack of tangible change in City Heights and instead focus on the overall shift in attitude that has come to light among residents due to the many generous efforts led by Sol Price, Jack McGrory, and many others that allow City Heights to continue to thrive, even if it is under the surface. 5
"Creating a shell"– that is, providing a space for others to fill– is an essential factor in allowing services and aid to pour into a community. One way City Heights attempted this is through the construction of a new police station to combat the rising crime rates. As a result, this initial undertaking began a string of mitigation efforts to improve the community's condition and alleviate the poverty levels persistent in City Heights. These redevelopment projects were conducted in six phases, known as the City Heights Urban Village. The first phase, building a new police station, was supposed to take place during the month of November 1993. Be that as it may, due to a lack of sufficient funding, the construction of the new police station was delayed. This began the conversation between Jack McGrory, the "architect of City Height's intervention," and CL Investment Corporation on what to do to combat these steadily rising crime rates. 6
            Fortunately, philanthropist Sol Price was at the forefront of these redevelopment efforts. Coming from an immigrant family himself, he wanted City Heights not only to be a community that "retains its current residents" but also "attracts new ones." After talks between McGrory and CL Investment Corp. settled, a consensus was reached that stated Sol would give a loan to the city to expedite the construction of the police station. However, in exchange, the city agreed to build a gym next to the police station so that both the officers and community members had an opportunity to familiarize themselves in a "friendly, recreational environment." In addition, the city had to provide public meeting rooms for the community members to use. The police substation was established in 1996 after Sol's pledge of money enabled the city to expedite its construction. Ultimately, these facilities were integral in lowering the crime rate in City Heights, reducing it by 39% from 1996 (when the police station was established) to 2000. 7
            Shortly after, with help from Price Philanthropies and the California Endowment, City Heights continued to see growth in its community and better opportunities for its residents. The remaining phases of the Urban Village development plan replaced the "large, blighted parcel of land" across from the police station with a new recreation center, public library, BlackBox theater, office space, park, and Headstart preschool. About $65 million was infused into the project to revitalize the City Heights community. Although significant, it was merely a precursor to many other projects that would follow. These include the Home in the Heights Homebuyer and Rehab Programs, SDSU Community Center, State Route 15 improvements, University Avenue improvements, and water pipeline/sewage line improvements. Of course, the presence of these new facilities and programs enabled the community's residents to enjoy more of the recreational activities that they were unable to prior, but what is more noteworthy is the long-lasting impact that these projects had on the community and residents themselves. More opportunities for the community's inhabitants to obtain affordable housing were available, new commercial spaces were created, more jobs and youth services were accessible, many schools saw improvements, and business owners were incentivized to enhance their storefronts. 8
            Sol Price aimed to promote financial well-being and property ownership among low-income residents and bring employment opportunities and much-needed services to the community to ensure that City Heights had future leaders to rely on. Therefore, promoting education became a significant focus for Price Philanthropies. The Price Family Charitable Fund gave grants to schools in the community, such as Hoover High School and Crawford High School, hoping that its students would be able to receive a higher quality education. Sol Price also partnered with San Diego State University to allow students to attend college with fully-funded tuition and other financial aid.  9
Although the original intent of Sol Price was to create some measurable change within the City Heights community, the goal of Price Philanthropies has now broadened to take on a more "holistic approach." Currently, the foundation is looking toward creating a space for students and families to have the opportunity to be more involved in the betterment of City Heights for their families, friends, and children. The most drastic change now is the attitude of the City Height's residents. After generations of being told that they were the "rotten core of America's finest city," they finally turned the narrative around. Now, the community is thriving due to businesses with owners from all across the globe wielding their diversity to their advantage. In the Spring of 2022, I was fortunate enough to interview three distinct businesses whom I felt created an accurate representation of what it means to enrich a community with its diversity. 10 
 
First Gen Scholars: Jonathan Burgos
            “We’re not an aggregate.”
            Jonathan Burgos, the founder of First Gen Scholars, speaks on his experience of the discrimination that the Asian community has faced and his role in breaking those various stereotypes. 
Jonathan’s story begins with his parents, who immigrated here from the Philippines in 1970, which was a part of the more extensive migration period of Filipinos in the early 20th century. In 1947, the United States and the Republic of the Philippines had reached a consensus stating that the U.S. could recruit Filipino citizens for voluntary enlistment into the United States Armed Forces. According to the Nationality Act of 1940, those “who served honorably in the armed forces for three years or more could be naturalized as U.S. citizens without having to meet normal requirements of naturalization.” Although later replaced by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952– which required additionally that those who served must also be “lawfully admitted for permanent residence”– many from the Philippines were still able to earn their U.S. citizenship. Like many others before him, Jonathan’s father came to America by serving in the U.S. Navy. His father had never stepped foot in the United States until he was enlisted, after which he was stationed in Reno, Nevada. 11
In 1976, Jonathan moved to San Diego, California, from Reno with his family when he was the age of one. After moving to San Diego, Jonathan’s father bought a piece of land to farm as a way to bring the culture of the Philippines back to the States. He began his high school career in Fallbrook, a small town in North County, where he was 1 of 7 Asians at his school of 2500. His post-secondary education took place at the University of California, San Diego, where he discovered a deep love for sociology. During his college years, Jonathan continued to cultivate this deep love for sociology by working with the county of San Diego and the YMCA as a program director. He eventually opened up his own flower shop but soon turned his attention to helping grow the youth of City Heights by collaborating with Price Philanthropies. Working under the jurisdiction of Cardinals Interact for 13 years, Jonathan became a catalyst for the students at Hoover High School. By helping students find their way, he had found a way to start up his own non-profit organization. He combined his passion for gardening and sociology by watering the seeds of possibility for his students and helping even more of them blossom into their fullest potential. 
The idea behind Jonathan’s non-profit organization, First Gen Scholars, began as a means to counteract this notion of Asians being the model minority. Being named the model minority, a term first seen in The New York Times magazine in 1966, was already inherently problematic as the phrase referred to a history of not only perpetuating stereotypes amongst groups of Asian-Americans but was also used to discriminate against other groups as being “problem minorities.” When looking at the numbers, the Southeast Asian community in City Heights had lower application, acceptance, and graduation rates than many others within the Black and LatinX communities. Contrary to popular societal belief, this idea of Asians being overachieving and academically predisposed to doing better “may be all well and great for students north of the eight freeway.” However, south of the eight freeway, “we’re still struggling.” In fact, many students were not receiving the support and resources they needed due to this ongoing stigma. This is the stereotype he wanted to eliminate from the community by creating the Southeast Asian Cohort in his program. He tried to combat the rising number of Southeast Asian students who were not getting into college or graduating and change the light they were being viewed under. 12
The majority of the community being composed of immigrants or refugees of war-ridden countries meant that, after coming here, they would either have to navigate this new country on their own or through the assistance of other community programs such as the International Rescue Committee, Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, and a plethora of other civic partners. In return, “dealing with that trauma, or not dealing with it, has really affected the younger generation.” By creating this program, Jonathan strives to create a safe space for students to voice their inner struggles and create a network of shared experiences and bonds so that they may never have to endure their transgressions alone. Although Jonathan merely credits himself with “putting [the students] in a group,” in reality, he has reemphasized the importance of “creating a shell” and allowing others to fill it with the resources, or in this case, the bonds, that the community needs. Jonathan’s program focuses on providing students with the support they need to apply and get into college. It also looks toward uplifting these students and giving them the platform to share their stories. His program features assistance with resumes, scholarships, financial aid applications, internship applications, one-on-one mentoring, college information workshops, college and internship interviews, and many other resources. More than just a shell, Jonathan has laid the foundation for helping students heal from their generational trauma and making it possible for students to no longer internalize the weight of their long standing troubles alone. 
First Gen Scholars was started in September of 2019 and is composed of three cohorts: a Black Cohort, a LatinX Cohort, and a Southeast Asian Cohort. Although creating separate cohorts may seem counterintuitive to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, it aids in its development. What sets First Gen Scholars apart from other college prep programs in the community is Jonathan’s unique approach to assisting students. Having students come together in a space where shared experiences are the foundation of their bonds helps them recognize the importance of having a community and having a community that understands one another. Jonathan continuously strives to take a more holistic approach when assisting his students. He incorporates all of the experiences and resources from Price Philanthropies when working with First Gen Scholars. Because he is the founder of this business, he has much more flexibility when mentoring students, something that works in the students’ favor: after all, there is no clear-cut way to pave a path to success. 
“What can we do more?” Jonathan frequently asked this question as he began expanding his new non-profit during the pandemic. The longer he worked with Cardinals Interact– another college preparatory program that exposes students to new careers and opportunities through their community partners– and became inspired by the diversity and tenacity of his students, the more he found himself wanting to continue to help more and more of them. With this in mind, he began to broaden his business, First Gen Scholars, by offering his services online through Zoom, where he went from supporting 26 students to a total of 78 students during the pandemic. It is phenomenal to witness that even during a worldwide epidemic, Jonathan’s support and passion were able to reach these students. With the mission to not only “help students get into college” but make sure that once they get their degree, they can work in professional fields, get paid 6-figure salaries, and afford homes to displace the gentrification occurring within the community, he had no plans of stopping his assistance– even after his students graduated.
In his mission to bring equity to the community, Jonathan’s ambition drove him to expand his career at Cardinals Interact to help more San Diego Unified School District schools than just Hoover High School. After working in the community for so long, he was aware that despite going to the same mosques, restaurants, and churches, students from Crawford High School were not getting the same support that Hoover students were. His goal was to bring more equity into a community that needed an advocate, and he planned to be just that. In his attempt to remain a non-profit organization and offer free services to the community youth of City Heights and other school districts, Jonathan continuously works diligently to acquire grants from the San Diego Foundation and the Price Charitable Fund to aid in his students’ success. 
With that being said, Jonathan not only tackles the difficulties of being a new business owner head-on by adapting to any hiccups he faces, but he is willing to “navigate it and own it.” Now, he is currently helping over 180 students learn to own and navigate their mistakes as they make their way towards a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.  
 
Happytime Tea: Ly Le
            Historically the American Dream is the standard upon which Americans base their lives around pursuing. However, what deserves equal consideration is the Immigrant Dream and the additional resilience required to fulfill it. Ly Le’s story is just one of many who came to America with the goal of realizing this very dream. His story begins with his hometown in Nha Trang, Khánh Hòa, where he lived for 25 years before leaving for the United States. There, he completed his primary and secondary education at Vạn Giã and Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, respectively. His days in Vietnam outside of school consisted of tending to water buffalo in the rice fields, working away at his family restaurant, and playing the drums on the bottoms of water buckets because his family could not afford instruments. He longed for the day when he could have his own drum set and play for others. Unfortunately, before he could continue with his post-secondary education, he emigrated to the United States.
            After the Vietnam War ended in 1975 until 2010, about 1.2 million Vietnamese, Laotian, Hmong, & Cambodian refugees fled to America. These refugees were forced to flee from their homes due to an overwhelming rise in persecution, trauma, and instability following the war’s destruction. Ly and his father came to America during one of the immigration waves in 1996 via ship. Coming here with little to nothing, Ly was forced to find work directly after he arrived in San Diego, meaning he could not return to his education. Ly spent the following 20 years saving up to open this business, from working at a nail salon for 17 years to various other miscellaneous jobs such as working at a printing station, as a videographer, etc. 13
            Happytime Tea is the culmination of the hopes, dreams, and struggles that Ly Le carried with him from Vietnam to the community of City Heights. Although civic efforts such as the Sol Price Initiatives incredibly altered the conditions of the community for the better, they still had a ways to go. That is why when he asked why he chose to begin the business in such an abandoned shopping center, Ly answered that he wished to bring life back into that area of the community and, by doing so, encourage others to do the same. His motivation to open this business was to not only bring the culture of Vietnam to the Vietnamese community here in City Heights but also be able to have the flexibility to take care of his family whenever they needed him, and he stated that he could not do so if he had to work under someone else. His store features an outdoor patio/garden that resembles many cafes in Vietnam. In addition, elements of the Vietnamese culture are plastered proudly all over the store; however, it also caters to more American tastes by offering foods such as crepes, waffles, and acai bowls in addition to the other authentic Vietnamese cuisine that they have. The majority of the store’s clients are comprised of the older Vietnamese community, who come in for the coffee but return for the nostalgia.
Happytime Tea opened on November 25, 2017, and has since had to deal with a host of its own respective challenges. Having no prior experience running a boba cafe, Ly encountered a plethora of difficulties in multiple facets. “With regard to money, there was never enough.” He disclosed that there were days in which he wanted to quit because of how slow business had been– Ly was sometimes even embarrassed to face his family, knowing he was supposed to be the “primary caretaker” of the household. This experience itself is not unique to just Ly, but many other immigrants in the community who come to America with the same dream of creating a better living for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, as rental rates and living expenses continue rising across the country, it has become harder and harder to get by. In fact, about 43% of the community’s residents live at or below the federal poverty level in City Heights, making it “one of the poorest areas in San Diego County.” Like many others in City Heights, Ly speaks little English, making it even more challenging to ask for city aid and grants to help keep his business afloat. When the pandemic hit San Diego, Happytime Tea was dealt a considerable blow. Not only did the price of supplies increase, but customer flow drastically decreased, leaving the business in shambles and forcing it to close. 14
            Nonetheless, he found the motivation to continue by adapting to the popular food trends during that time as the lockdown was lifted (August 2020). It was during this time that he began adding new American and traditional Vietnamese drinks to the menus to draw in customers, began offering live music on weekends to cater to more of the older Asian community, and began expanding his outdoor garden to allow customers to enjoy his store without the worry of catching COVID. With the help of his wife, Trang Ngo– who helped create their specialty dishes of bánh canh and bánh mi– Happytime Tea began to flourish, an unexpected byproduct of a worldwide pandemic.
Although following the COVID-19 pandemic brought better successes to Happytime Tea, the business is by no means thriving as much as it would like to today. Like many other businesses within the community, Happytime Tea still struggles with drawing more customers to its business, especially with its limited financial resources. In addition, having to rebuild customer influx following the lockdown has been no easy feat. Ly has expressed that with the rise of COVID also came a lot of anti-Asian sentiment that prevented many customers from being willing to support a business run by an Asian business owner. Fear of getting COVID has also been a massive factor in deterring customers away from his store. Nevertheless, Ly has no plans to slow down despite the financial challenges, loss, and other obstacles that he has encountered. To combat these hurdles, he intends not only to update his menu to include more fresh teas and a more comprehensive array of options for customers who have dietary restrictions to choose from but also build a pergola outdoors to incentivize more students within the community to study at Happytime Tea by creating more space outdoors for them.
What sets Happytime Tea apart from other businesses is that Ly is able to not only have a business where he can showcase his culture and culinary skills proudly, but he has created a space for many of the older Vietnamese residents to reminisce about their home country. The store is not only a representation of the dreams that many immigrant families have after fleeing from their homes, but the business owner himself is a representation of the tenacity that one must have to carry out their dreams in a foreign country despite obstacles hindering their success. His hard work is apparent as the business continues to serve the residents of City Heights. Now, he can finally live out the rest of his days around his family, community, business, and drum set.
 
Jos Beauty & Body: Josephine Tran
            Financial instability, language barriers, and food and housing insecurity are just some of the many obstacles City Heights residents face. However, what deserves equal attention is the generational trauma that the youth of City Heights are burdened with and the many other challenges that they must face due to their family’s traditional values. Josephine Tran’s story exemplifies what it means to find the courage to break away from the traditional restraints set by one’s family and culture as a second-generation immigrant. Simultaneously, she dispels the stereotype that coming from a low-income community dictates the limits of the socioeconomic standards that she could meet. 
            Her story begins with her parents, who emigrated from Vietnam to San Diego. Her dad came when he was about 17 years old, while her mother came when she was about 32. Josephine has lived in City Heights all of her life and comes from a low-income, first-generation immigrant family, where she is the first of her family to attend college. She is currently a student at San Diego State University, where she is pursuing a degree in Business Specialization and Entrepreneurship with the goal of expanding her current business. Josephine attended Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic School for her primary education. She then went to Hoover High School for her secondary education, where her younger sister also currently goes. 
            Josephine started Jos Beauty and Body when she was only 16 years old with the desire to help her family break the poverty cycle that they had been accustomed to for many years and fund her prospective career as a doctor to adhere to her family’s traditional wishes. She gained inspiration from her sister and her complaints about how Asian people had very short eyelashes and how frustratingly straight her own eyelashes always were. During that time, lashing was very popular and high in demand among the youth of City Heights who could not afford to travel to the wealthier neighborhoods in San Diego to indulge in such beauty services. She noticed that a girl in Orange County was giving out certificates for lashing, so Josephine decided that to “start this adult life of [hers], [she] need[ed] to have an income,” which is when she began looking into the lashing business. 
            Josephine’s business initially only focused on offering lashing services, but since then has broadened to include non-invasive body sculpting and permanent eyebrow tattooing in response to the rising trends seen on social media. By opening her business, Josephine has managed to break away from the statistics that “students at Hoover High School are twice as likely to drop out as their peers district-wide” and show that they are capable of becoming more than what statistics can define them to be. She says that to cater to a broader audience of customers, she attempts to continue to add new services to her existing collection. Additionally, because she offers more affordable services than her competitors in surrounding areas, this sets her business apart and incentivizes more people to bring their business to her. In starting Jos Beauty and Body, Josephine has not only realized her passion for cosmetology but her desire to be her own boss. She hopes that in the near future, she can utilize the resources offered by the San Diego Foundation to expand her business so that she can afford a storefront instead of working from home. Her story encapsulates what many others in the neighborhood also struggle with: not being able to afford a separate space for work is not uncommon in this community. Due to the low-income population prevalent throughout City Heights, many find it challenging to be able to start a business with little to nothing to begin with. 15
                        As a result of Josephine starting her business at the age of 16, she underwent a series of challenges, including an inability to build clientele relationships due to lack of experience, not being taken seriously due to her age, and not knowing effective marketing strategies to draw in customers. In addition, to call more attention to her business, Josephine offered her services for very low promotional rates, which made it harder for her to make a profit initially. Moreover, she had to learn how to balance her work schedule with her school schedule, which proved to be an arduous feat, especially as she started high school. A typical workday for Josephine begins around 9 am and does not end until 8 pm, even as she tries to schedule her clients toward the end of the week to allow herself the time to focus on school. Amid the COVID pandemic, Jos Beauty and Body had taken a huge hit and had to close down. Not only did Josephine get into a car accident during the lockdown, but to keep her family and loved ones safe, she had to close down her business temporarily. Now, Josephine’s business has regained its upward trajectory, and she continues to offer affordable services to the community. 
While this business helped Josephine recognize her independence and passions for business and cosmetology, its creation also embodied the courage she portrayed as she broke away from the stereotypes that were limiting her growth, both from her own culture as well as the external views about how far she could move up the socioeconomic ladder being from a low-income neighborhood such as that of City Heights. In this way, Josephine’s story is an example of not only exceeding cultural and societal expectations but doing so in a way true to her passions and strengths.
 
Conclusion & Last Remarks:
Although the interviews between these three businesses were distinct, I was able to derive answers to the same question I had: how do these businesses each contribute to the diversity of this community? First Gen Scholars not only fosters the youth of the community but helps build new leaders proud of their diversity. Happytime Tea represents the resilience to make a dream come true and the importance of sharing that proudly with others from the same community. And finally, by her example, Jos Beauty and Body enables the community to not only build independent and small businesses but also be inspired by her determination to break away from the stereotypes that were limiting her growth. Although this project had its respective ups and downs, I felt that it was a truly enriching experience to learn about my own community and how my heritage aids in its success. 
In creating each of these businesses, Jonathan, Josephine, and Ly were not only able to combat a particular aspect of the Asian discrimination that they were subject to, especially during the COVID pandemic, but also answer these stereotypes by helping others. Although each is distinct and offers various services to the community of City Heights, the three of these organizations together make a holistic representation of the Asian diversity and the diversity of businesses prevalent in the community. I chose these three business owners to interview because I had already utilized each of their services and developed a connection with each of their businesses, their work, and their respective roles in the community. By interviewing these organizations, I was not only able to take a deeper look at how their businesses add to the diversity of the community of City Heights but also grasp a better understanding of how different generations create a business. 
            Despite each business owner having different motivations to start their own business, they all represent aspirations that most can empathize with. In creating First Gen Scholars, Jonathan wished to bring equity to a community thriving with diversity but lacking the resources to ensure its success. Jonathan has become a champion for the community's youth, an advocate for minority voices always unheard, and a catalyst that helps students break barriers. Concerning Happytime Tea, Ly's dream was to bring his culture and aspirations from Vietnam to America through food. After strenuous saving and years of working, he was finally able to open a store that became a place of nostalgia for older generations, a place of culture for strangers to learn and share in enjoying, and a place where family and friends could gather to indulge in Vietnamese cuisine while listening to the soft melodies of Vietnamese slow rock. Jos Beauty and Body is a pillar of hope for the upcoming generations who wish to break free from the stereotypes that hold them back. Her story is not only an inspiration to other immigrant families and their children as to what success can embody outside of traditional views, but it is a testament to the hard work and dedication many of the children in the community have to break the cycle of poverty that their families have been victim to. 
As we advance, to ensure that businesses in City Heights such as these three maintain their upward momentum, it is crucial for its community members– and equally, those who do not live within it– not only to continue to support these small businesses but also ensure that others like them gain the traction and visibility that they need to succeed within the broader community of San Diego. Supporting diversity, especially within communities that rely on its success, is one of the many ways we can both promote awareness and ensure its continued prosperity.















End Notes: 
1 Burks, Megan. “San Diego's Richest Poor Neighborhood, Two Decades Later.” Voice of San Diego, 16 Mar. 2022, https://voiceofsandiego.org/2014/11/18/san-diegos-richest-poor-neighborhood-two-decades-later/. 
2 Daniels, Anna. “Welcome to City Heights!” San Diego Free Press, 25 Aug. 2016, https://sandiegofreepress.org/2013/08/welcome-to-city-heights/#.Yf2Biy9h3fY. 
“City Heights, San Diego Facts for Kids.” City Heights, San Diego Facts for Kids, 13 May 2022, https://kids.kiddle.co/City_Heights,_San_Diego. 
3 Daniels, Anna. “Welcome to City Heights!” San Diego Free Press, 25 Aug. 2016, https://sandiegofreepress.org/2013/08/welcome-to-city-heights/#.Yf2Biy9h3fY. 
Price, Robert E. “Chapter 11: The City Heights Initiative.” Sol Price: Retail Revolutionary and Social Innovator, San Diego History Center, San Diego, 2012, pp. 191–204. 
4 Barrow, Keving, et al. “Cultural Designation: The Corridor Teralta Park.” Social Innovation, 2019, https://socialinnovation.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Cultural-Designation-The-Corridor-Teralta-Park.pdf. 
Price, Robert E. “Chapter 11: The City Heights Initiative.” Sol Price: Retail Revolutionary and Social Innovator, San Diego History Center, San Diego, 2012, pp. 191–204. 
Burks, Megan. “San Diego's Richest Poor Neighborhood, Two Decades Later.” Voice of San Diego, 16 Mar. 2022, https://voiceofsandiego.org/2014/11/18/san-diegos-richest-poor-neighborhood-two-decades-later/. 
5 Burks, Megan. “San Diego's Richest Poor Neighborhood, Two Decades Later.” Voice of San Diego, 16 Mar. 2022, https://voiceofsandiego.org/2014/11/18/san-diegos-richest-poor-neighborhood-two-decades-later/. 
6 Price, Robert E. “Chapter 11: The City Heights Initiative.” Sol Price: Retail Revolutionary and Social Innovator, San Diego History Center, San Diego, 2012, pp. 191–204. 
Burks, Megan. “San Diego's Richest Poor Neighborhood, Two Decades Later.” Voice of San Diego, 16 Mar. 2022, https://voiceofsandiego.org/2014/11/18/san-diegos-richest-poor-neighborhood-two-decades-later/.
Community and Economic Development Department, City of San Diego. “City Heights Urban Village.” The City of San Diego, Aug. 2002, https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.usc.edu/dist/e/518/files/2013/03/2002-08-CSD-CH-Urban-Village-Fact-Sheet.pdf. 
7 Price, Robert E. “Chapter 11: The City Heights Initiative.” Sol Price: Retail Revolutionary and Social Innovator, San Diego History Center, San Diego, 2012, pp. 191–204.
“City Heights, San Diego Facts for Kids.” City Heights, San Diego Facts for Kids, 13 May 2022, https://kids.kiddle.co/City_Heights,_San_Diego. 
8 Daniels, Anna. “Welcome to City Heights!” San Diego Free Press, 25 Aug. 2016, https://sandiegofreepress.org/2013/08/welcome-to-city-heights/#.Yf2Biy9h3fY. 
Price, Robert E. “Chapter 11: The City Heights Initiative.” Sol Price: Retail Revolutionary and Social Innovator, San Diego History Center, San Diego, 2012, pp. 191–204.
Barrow, Keving, et al. “Cultural Designation: The Corridor Teralta Park.” Social Innovation, 2019, https://socialinnovation.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Cultural-Designation-The-Corridor-Teralta-Park.pdf. 
9 Price, Robert E. “Chapter 11: The City Heights Initiative.” Sol Price: Retail Revolutionary and Social Innovator, San Diego History Center, San Diego, 2012, pp. 191–204. 
“City Heights, San Diego Facts for Kids.” City Heights, San Diego Facts for Kids, 13 May 2022, https://kids.kiddle.co/City_Heights,_San_Diego. 
10 Burks, Megan. “San Diego's Richest Poor Neighborhood, Two Decades Later.” Voice of San Diego, 16 Mar. 2022, https://voiceofsandiego.org/2014/11/18/san-diegos-richest-poor-neighborhood-two-decades-later/. 
11 Hooker, J.S. “Filipinos in the United States Navy.” Naval History and Heritage Command, 23 Nov. 2020, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/f/filipinos-in-the-united-states-navy.html. 
Lee, Erika. “Chapter 8: ‘We Have Heard Much of America’: Filipinos in the U.S. Empire” The Making of Asian America: A History, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 2021, pp. 325–357. 
12 Sority Model Minority Assimilated Seeming Success of Asian Americans ...https://depts.washington.edu/sibl/Publications/Model%20Minority%20Section%20 (2011).pdf. 
13 Lee, Erika. “Chapter 14: In Search of Refuge: Southeast Asians in the United States.” The Making of Asian America: A History, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 2021, pp. 559–594. 
14 “City Heights.” Ocean Discovery Institute, 13 Aug. 2018, https://oceandiscoveryinstitute.org/city-heights/. 
15 Burks, Megan. “San Diego's Richest Poor Neighborhood, Two Decades Later.” Voice of San Diego, 16 Mar. 2022, https://voiceofsandiego.org/2014/11/18/san-diegos-richest-poor-neighborhood-two-decades-later/. 
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Barrow, Keving, et al. “Cultural Designation: The Corridor Teralta Park.” Social Innovation, 2019, https://socialinnovation.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Cultural-Designation-The-Corridor-Teralta-Park.pdf. 
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Community and Economic Development Department, City of San Diego. “City Heights Urban Village.” The City of San Diego, Aug. 2002, https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.usc.edu/dist/e/518/files/2013/03/2002-08-CSD-CH-Urban-Village-Fact-Sheet.pdf. 
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Lee, Erika. “Chapter 8: ‘We Have Heard Much of America’: Filipinos in the U.S. Empire” The Making of Asian America: A History, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 2021, pp. 325–357.
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 “City Heights.” Ocean Discovery Institute, 13 Aug. 2018, https://oceandiscoveryinstitute.org/city-heights/.