Recently I was asked, “Does Austin, Texas have an Asian American ‘soul’?” Depends. According to the New York Times, the Asian American population in Austin is booming at 6.5%, above the national average of 4.2%. And it is expected to double by 2020. You could have fooled me. After living in New York and San Francisco, I find downtown Austin to be a really white place.

Join me as I search for Austin’s very own brand of Asian Americana. Click on an image and work your way through. And if you’d like to recreate the journey, see below for a map of my route.

Sources:

a) According to New York Times statistics, the Asian American population in Austin is booming at 6.5%

b) The annual Dragon Boat Festival at Austin’s Lady Bird Lake

c) A noodle shop called TC Noodle House

d) The Austin temple is called Thien Hau Temple

e) I like eating at Daruma because they have Apple TV, which is usually tuned to something Japan-related

f) I have two lifelines to food that tastes like home

g) MT Supermarket is the local Vietnamese/Chinese market

h) Wena Poon is a photographer and author of 8 books of literary fiction