The Hidden History Beneath Downtown Phoenix: What Happened to Chinatown?

You’ve heard the official story of Phoenix—the cowboys, the canals, the copper barons.

But beneath the streets of downtown lies a chapter the city buried.

Literally.

Phoenix once had not one, but two thriving Chinatown neighborhoods. Built by the very people who laid the tracks that connected Arizona to the rest of the country, these communities were integral to the city’s development—and then they were quietly erased.

This is the story you weren’t taught in school.

But it’s one we’re still telling.

Sing High Chop Suey House

The Tracks That Built the West

When the Southern Pacific Railroad pushed through Arizona in the late 1800s, it was Chinese immigrants who made up the majority of the labor force.

They blasted through mountain rock, laid mile after mile of track, and braved brutal heat in isolated camps to make the rail system a reality.

Many of them settled in Phoenix after the railroad was completed, laying the foundation for what would become the city's first Chinatown—a neighborhood that stood just south of today’s Jefferson Street, near the arena, CityScape, and the warehouse district.

A Community Hidden in Plain Sight

Old Chinatown was vibrant and self-sufficient. It had herbal shops, groceries, restaurants, laundries, boarding houses, and temples. Its residents faced discrimination at every level—from local law enforcement to media coverage—but they built a life anyway.

Despite being a crucial part of Phoenix’s early economy and culture, Chinese residents were often portrayed as “outsiders” or worse. The city wanted their labor, but not their presence.

By the early 20th century, city leaders began referring to the neighborhood as an “eyesore.” What came next wasn’t revitalization. It was removal.

The Erasure of Chinatown

In the 1930s and 40s, Phoenix used urban renewal policies and public health justifications to demolish Old Chinatown. No preservation. No relocation plan. Just bulldozers.

A second Chinatown emerged near 1st Avenue and Madison—a few blocks south—but it was never given the space or respect to grow. It faded quickly, absorbed into a city that refused to acknowledge it.

Today, these neighborhoods are gone.

There are no official plaques. No preserved landmarks. No standing evidence of the communities that once thrived there.

Why It Matters

Phoenix’s Chinese immigrants weren’t background players.

They were builders. Business owners. Caretakers. Neighbors.

And yet, their story was edited out of the city’s official version of history.

At Get Ghosted Phoenix, we believe in telling the full story—especially the parts people tried to forget. When we walk through downtown on our tours, we’re not just pointing at pretty buildings. We’re acknowledging what’s missing. Who’s missing. And why that matters.

Because history doesn’t just live in museums.

It lives under our feet.

Come Walk With Us

If you're ready to see Phoenix in a new light—and to hear the voices the city tried to silence—join us for Haunted Jails, Rails & Grave Tales.

We explore the real history of this city: the railroad workers, the erased neighborhoods, the haunted corners, and the stories buried just beneath the surface.

Book your tour now at GetGhostedPhoenix.com