Surrounded by mountains and forest and situated on the Puget Sound, Seattle provides big city amenities in a peaceful natural setting. Thanks to its location in the upper northwest corner of the US, Seattle weather can be wet and a bit chilly (average high of 8°C) in the winter months, while summer sees fewer raindrops and reaches an average high of 23°C. Students and professionals from all over the world come to this Tier 1 city (named for talent in technology) for its cutting-edge tech opportunities, outdoor activities (Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park, and San Juan Islands are a few hours away), cultural diversity, and welcoming atmosphere. Seattle has also been named #1 Best Places for Business and Careers by Forbes magazine (2019). This range of diverse influences has helped define the city’s architecture, cuisine, festivals, and communities, as well as the regional economy.
Seattle’s International Neighborhoods & Enclaves
Seattle is known for its iconic Pike Place Market, which features fresh foods and homemade goods, but there is much more to see than flying fish and coffee empires. It is Seattle’s many cultural districts — including Chinatown-International District, Little Saigon, and Central District (home to Seattle’s Black community) — as well as a wide variety of ethnic restaurants and markets throughout the area, that make this Pacific Northwest city unique. With so many cultural enclaves around the city, homesick international students studying at Seattle University or Cornish College of the Arts will soon feel right at home.
Where to Find Asian Culture in Seattle
Asian restaurants, shops, and markets can be found all over the city — especially in White Center, Bellevue, Federal Way, and Shoreline — but the Chinatown-International District (C-ID) is the epicenter of Seattle’s Asian-American community since it was first established between 1909 and 1929. Since the 1960s, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai, Hmong, and South Asian immigrants have relocated to the area and further expanded the Asian influence on the city. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and now includes communities within its Chinatown, Japantown, Manilatown, and Little Saigon neighborhoods.
C-ID can be found just southeast of Pioneer Square, within the area bordered by Yesler Street, Fifth Street, Dearborn Street, and Rainier Avenue. The Wing Luke Museum, the only pan-Asian Pacific-American community-based museum in the US, is a great place to gain insight into the C-ID through the museum’s exhibits and guided neighborhood tours.
International students seeking a taste of home will find more than 50 restaurants serving cuisines from China, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, and beyond. Festivals, such as the Food Walk Series, Night Market, Hai! Japantown Summer Festival, and Celebrate Little Saigon, enable students to enjoy the flavors of home. Aside from major events, the district hosts a range of activities, including ping pong, tai chi, Chinese dance, outdoor movies, and more. For those students looking to worship, there are several Buddhist temples and churches within the area.
Asian Restaurants in Seattle
Chengdu Memory (Sichuan hot pot)
Harbor City (Dim Sum)
Huong Binh Restaurant (Vietnamese)
Gangnam Seattle (Korean)
Shanghai Garden (Chinese)
Momosan Seattle (Japanese)
Asian Markets in Seattle
Where to Find South Asian Culture in Seattle
In recent years, many South Asians have relocated to greater Seattle for employment at the tech giants headquartered around the region. International students can find the flavors, sounds, and goods of their home country in regional restaurants, shops, and grocers located across the city, but a specific Indian neighborhood hasn’t been established in Seattle just yet. However, a community of peers isn’t far away.
Bellevue, located just east of Seattle across Lake Washington, is home to many people of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, and Nepali descent. The world’s only Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festival, Tasveer, is headquartered in Bellevue and strives to “engage the community through films, storytelling, and visual art from South Asia and its diaspora to help change narratives, foster a deeper understanding of South Asian culture, and to build a just and sustainable society.” Indian American Community Services, the “longest-serving Indian organization in the Pacific Northwest,” also calls Bellevue home and is responsible for community center pop-ups in cities across the state.
For students looking to worship, the Bellevue Hindu Temple provides services, while the St. Louise Parish has established an Indian community. The Muslim Association of Puget Sound provides daily prayers at its locations in Seattle, Redmond, or Snohomish County.
Other neighborhoods with larger Indian communities are Redmond, Sammamish, Issaquah, Kirkland, and Union Hill-Novelty Hill.
Indian Restaurants in Seattle
Indian Markets in Seattle
India Supermarket (Bellevue)
Swagath Grocery & Restaurant (Redmond)
Where to Find Latinx Culture in Seattle
As the largest minority group in Washington, with more than 10% the population identifying as Hispanic or Latino (2010 census), Latinx cultures are well represented in Seattle. Mexican restaurants can be found in most neighborhoods, but international students can also find the cuisines of Venezuela, Guatemala, Caribbean islands, El Salvador, and Colombia, among others, within the city.
For a true sense of community, however, students will want to travel 15 minutes south of downtown Seattle to the South Park neighborhood, which is home to the largest Latinx population of any of the city’s neighborhoods. Situated on the west bank of the Duwamish Waterway, South Park’s central business district features a range of restaurants and bakeries serving traditional flavors, while markets sell fresh fruit and vegetables.
International students may want to visit the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture to learn more about their history in Washington state. Vibrant and meaningful murals, painted by Latino artists, can be seen throughout the neighborhood, and the Cesar Chavez Park, created in honor of the human rights activist who fought for farm workers’ rights, is a great place to sit and appreciate the statue by sculptor Jesus Bautista Moroles. There are many churches that provide services in Spanish in South Park and Seattle for students who wish to worship.
Latinx Restaurants in Seattle
Latinx Markets in Seattle
International Events
A variety of cultural events take place in Seattle and the surrounding region throughout the year, including 24 free festivals hosted by the Seattle Center Festál (several are listed below).
Lunar New Year Celebration
Diwali Lights of India
International Community Centers
South Park Community Center (closed until 2025)
Feel at Home Without Leaving Campus
A city oasis with a verdant 55-acre campus offering views of mountains and the city skyline, Seattle University is just one mile from downtown in the eclectic Capitol Hill and First Hill neighborhoods.
The university is home to more than 1,000 students from approximately 80 countries and the administration works hard to make everyone feel included and welcome. The school’s mission touts that “true inclusion in and out of the classroom is core to our mission and strategic priorities and rooted in our Jesuit, Catholic identity. When every person is welcome and celebrated, our whole community wins — and our world is transformed.”
International students will feel right at home on campus, thanks to the university’s many resources, including the International Student Center, which provides one-on-one guidance on nearly everything students need while trying to navigate college in a new world.
Additionally, the Seattle University International Student Association provides guidance through mentorship programs, volunteering opportunities, and academic support programs, as well as hosts events and workshops. The English Language Learning Center features tutoring for students who need help communicating through English Language and Culture Bridge courses, language tutoring, and opportunities to practice conversations in English.
International students hoping to find community on campus should consider joining one of the many student cultural clubs, including the Japanese Student Association, Korean Student Association, Vietnamese Student Association, African Student Association, and Seattle University Students and Scholars Association (SUCSSA), among many other organizations.
Finding a Home Away from Home
Thanks to its diverse population and well-established cultural districts, Seattle truly has something for every new arrival, making it an ideal place for international students to study without feeling too far from home.
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