As a result, the Japanese could “book hotel rooms” and “hold banquets” in Portland (Toll, 24), luxuries that the Chinese could not enjoy. In contrast, Americans believed that the Chinese “could not be assimilated into the white community” (Wong, 19) because of discrimination at the federal, state and local levels: respectively, the Chinese Exclusion Acts, the Oregon Constitution, and Portland ordinances.
Japantown and Chinatown both served as safe places for immigrants to live, work, and socialize. Although both had businesses, Japantown was able to set itself apart from Chinatown by stressing a family culture. Because the Japanese created families, they were seen as wanting to stay in America permanently and contribute to the community. Even though Japantown dissolved as World War II began, these characteristics ultimately gave the Japanese benefits over the other minority groups in