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Anyone who doubted Frank Jao's desire to broaden the appeal of Little Saigon in Westminster only had to listen to the eclectic mix of music at the recent opening of his $3 million New Saigon Mall and Cultural Court. The Nicholson Pipe and Drum corps marched to "Yankee Doodle Dandy," and a strolling mariachi band strummed "Spanish Eyes." Meanwhile, a group of traditional Vietnamese musicians mixed bass drums and heavy rhythm sticks as dancers gyrated underneath dragon costumes.
And anyone who doubted that Jao faces serious challenges only had to listen to a group of teenagers who lingered near the entrance of the freshly launched development. The adolescents, who had performed as dancers during the grand opening ceremonies, sounded unlikely to return.
"This is only for old people who live around here," said Quan Vu, a 15-year-old Bolsa High School student who spends his shopping time with his buddies at nearby Westminster Mall or South Coast Plaza.
"We're brand-name guys," added another high schooler.
Why pay attention to smart-mouthed youth? Because Little Saigon's retail landscape is in a demographic rut. Developer Jao, whose Bridgecreek Realty Investment Corp. in Westminster has been a major force behind the district's commercial birth and growth, knows it and is trying to fix it.
It's no easy fix. By Jao's own estimate, 95% of Little Saigon shoppers are either Vietnamese or Chinese immigrants, 40 or older.
That home-grown trade made Little Saigon one of the most bustling commercial centers in the country. But Jao and other merchants in the district dream of making the area a cross-over draw, along the...