George White, the eponymous co-founder of White Center, could not have known that, in so founding this neighborhood, he was displaying an ironic sense of humor. White Center certainly has its share of white residents but what most likely defines it, in most peoples’ minds, is its amazing diversity. There are literally people from every continent who have as their primary tounge, the language of their native land. Alongside English you will find people who speak: Vietnamese, Spanish, Tagalog, Russian, Chinese, Japanese along with a couple dozen other languages. This rich diversity of cultures is welcomed by most and disdained by some. As some long-time residents of West Seattle said to me recently, “we live in West Seattle not in spite of White Center but because of White Center.”
I myself love the infusion of life that immigrants bring to White Center. You would have to travel many, many miles in most Seattle neighborhoods to find the rich diversity of food that you will find in the few blocks that make up this wonderful neighborhood. From papayas, prickly pair apples, mangos to rambutan (chon chon), durian (sau rieng), and sapodilla, you will find fruits and vegetables literally from every corner of the world. The same goes for chicharones, goat meat, brain tacos to Ca cuon fish rolls, Chao tome prawn paste, and mam salted catfish, snakehead and mackerels along with the necessary condiments, you will find them all in White Center. So next time your Greenwood friends start ragging on White Center, invite them over to an international dinner befitting a world traveler.
