East Meets West - use of native language by Chinese Americans - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

American Demographics, Dec, 2000 by Gerda Gallop-Goodman

Although Chinese consumers are immersed in their culture, retailers don't have to speak their language to gain market share, according to a new study by KTSF-TV, a San Francisco television station. For each of the last 13 years, the television station has studied the habits of Chinese consumers in the 10-county San Francisco area. This year, researchers polled 500 Bay Area Chinese Americans, aged 18 or older.

Although most of those surveyed (nearly three-quarters) have lived in the United States for at least six years, these consumers still maintain a strong preference to communicate in their native tongue. KTSF-TV discovered that nearly 40 percent of Bay Area Chinese speak the language at home all the time, while 49 percent speak Chinese most of the time. The preference to communicate in their own language is growing: 91 percent chose to conduct their survey interview in Chinese rather than English - an increase of 6 percent from last year.

These consumers may be talking the talk at home, but they don't mind if their native language is missing at the food store, the study reveals. In fact, the percentage of San Franciscan Chinese consumers who prefer to buy their food in Chinese groceries has declined over the last five years. In 1995, 26 percent preferred to buy their food at Chinese groceries. By 2000, that number plunged 20 percentage points. More than two-thirds of these consumers shop at supermarket chains, such as Ranch 99, Safeway, or Albertson's. It's a matter of quality, convenience, value, and service, says Michael J. Sherman, general manager of KTSF-TV. The international language of brands may be more important to ethnic consumers than communicating with retail clerks in their native tongue.