When Diana Jeong was growing up in Malden in the 1950s, there were very few Asian people. Her father’s Chinese restaurant was the only one in the city.
Now, Malden is one of the most diverse cities in all of Massachusetts. Asians make up more than a quarter of its population, according to city data. More than 40% of the population was born outside of the United States. On a recent walk down Pleasant Street, Jeong noted that diversity.
“There’s a ramen noodle place here, then across the street, there’s an Arabic restaurant. Further down, there is a Korean restaurant. There is Ming’s Seafood … A lot of bubble tea places,” said Jeong, a board member of the Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition.
It’s a story unfolding in many of the 25 other Gateway Cities across the state: immigrants are transforming and revitalizing downtowns in previously industrial communities.
These former mill towns are home to 27% of Massachusetts residents, but nearly 40% of the state’s foreign-born population, according to the nonprofit research agency, MassINC.
Malden is also home to the one-of-a-kind Malden Gaming District, made up of 20 businesses where visitors can play video games, go rock climbing, sing karaoke, attend a murder mystery night and gather to play Pokémon Go.
Many of them cater to clientele familiar with Asian culture — a Chinese-influenced pool hall; a gaming cafe that offers Hong Kong-style bubble tea and a Mahjong table; a karaoke bar with a bilingual menu that offers sake and Asian-influenced appetizers where you can sing American or Chinese hits.
The success of both types of businesses — Asian restaurants and gaming — makes Malden’s downtown a special kind of melting pot.
“There can be, at one time, a hundred folks who have finished playing Pokémon trying to find a place to eat,” Jeong said. “It sort of feeds off on itself a little bit.”
Mayor Gary Christenson, who was born and raised in Malden and identifies as a lifelong gamer, has supported the dual transformation — and is taking Mandarin classes to keep up with the changing demographics.
“When I was growing up, it was mainly Italian, Irish. And even before that, there was a different population,” he said. “I think that’s what also makes it special, is that it keeps evolving. And now, we are one of the most diverse cities in the state.”
For longtime residents like Jeong, it’s a welcome change.
“I think it’s amazing. I’m not sure that I would have expected that in my lifetime, … I think that it says a lot about the community, that it is welcoming, that it is diverse, that you can learn a lot,” she said.
Thriving Asian food scene
Jeong says growing up in Malden was sometimes an “isolating” experience for her and her family.
“My mother, when she came here, didn’t know English at all. There [were] about four or five Chinese families in the entire city,” she said. “When I graduated from high school, there were only four Asian kids, and maybe about a half a dozen African-American kids.”
Jeong’s father opened Jade Restaurant in 1951, offering Americanized Chinese food. It became a success.
“For a while, it was the only game in town,” Jeong said. “On a good Saturday, he could fill up the whole place.”
Things started to change in the mid-1970s, when the Orange Line came to Malden. That created an opportunity for affordable living with easy access to Boston. The Asian population took root organically.
“That’s how it just sort of grew. People liked it here, they liked the commute, they liked to have a little backyard,” Jeong said.
Malden now has the third-largest population of people born in China of any city in Massachusetts, according to census data. In the 2000s, as the cost of living increased in the city and Boston’s Chinatown felt unsafe, many people who were priced out went south to Quincy and north to Malden.
Since 2000, the foreign-born population from China has more than doubled, from about 3,000 to more than 6,000, data shows.
That diversity is reflected in the food — and has made Malden an appealing place for Asian restaurant owners.
On a recent Friday night, Thaiger Den on Pleasant Street was buzzing with activity, as patrons dined on dishes like jaew glazed rice, crab curry, duck with tamarind and red wine and pad thai.
Nisa Thanangthirapong, originally from Southern Thailand, is the co-owner of a restaurant group with four restaurants in Malden, including Thaiger Den, which focuses on Thai food with a modern twist.
“We were looking for which city is best for our project, and we found Malden, which is unique. The population here is very diverse,” she said. “We have learned that American culture loves Thai food. Also like Chinese, Vietnamese people, they love Thai food.”
“If you want quality Asian food, come down here — Chinese, dim sum. There’s great Thai, Vietnamese,” said Malden resident Stephanie Taverna on her way to dinner on a recent evening. “There’s really just anything you could possibly want as far as Asian food goes.”
A place for gaming
Malden traces its boom in gaming businesses to the arrival of the Swedish company Boda Borg, which opened in 2015 in what used to be a department store. Teams of people go on quests combining physical and mental challenges — a combination of an escape room and a ninja warrior obstacle course.
With support from the mayor’s office, the district has grown and now includes a comic book store that hosts role-playing games, a rock climbing gym, karaoke bar and an esports cafe, giving Asian residents a taste of home.
“It’s the only gaming district that doesn’t involve gambling. It involves fun and camaraderie. And it doesn’t involve technology. It involves communicating and working together,” Christenson said.
Malden has also become a vibrant gathering place for Pokémon Go, the augmented reality game from Japan that allows players to “catch” virtual creatures as they walk around.
“It’s grown exponentially,” said Marco D’Alelio, a core member of the Malden gaming scene. D’Alelio organizes Pokémon Go events at Zenith Comics on Pleasant Street, where dozens of people gather every week to play and walk around downtown. “It’s definitely seen a renaissance.”
Gaming has brought the local city government closer to its constituents — Christenson says Pokémon Go has “opened up a whole new dialog” to talk with residents and educate them about municipal issues, whether that’s noticing accessibility problems with sidewalks or tree branches.
“The Malden Center Pokémon Go community is probably one of the biggest in New England,” said Tessa Young, who served as the Malden Gaming District’s community organizer.
Young said that spirit of connection is what makes Malden special, especially as residents are looking for third spaces to connect with neighbors following the pandemic.
“I have seen with my own eyes the ability that games have to bring people together,” she said.
This story was prompted by a question from a reader as part of our Gateway Cities: 26 in 26 project, where we are focusing on the state’s 26 Gateway Cities this year. Have a question or want to tell us something about where you live? Go to our Gateway Cities website or email us at equityandjustice@wgbh.org
