ABSTRACT
In urbanized suburbs-where there are limited alternative recreational spaces or activities for youth-cyber cafés attract elementary-to collegeage Asian American youth. “PC rooms,”“PC Bangs,”“Internet Cafés,” and “Cyber Cafés” have surfaced across the country, but southern California is home to the nation’s largest cluster of these cafés. Located in mini malls or strip malls, cyber cafés have become the fastest-growing business in Asian ethnic enclaves, particularly among Koreans, Vietnamese, and Chinese. Using the latest in interactive technology and state-of-the-art computers, youth compete in computer games with individuals who sit beside them, or even in other cafés. Although these cafés offer an affordable and accessible form of entertainment, some critics argue that video games encourage violence and are addictive, referring to them as “on-line heroin.” Our research, however, finds that cyber cafés not only provide Asian American youth with a social outlet but also offer a safe space where they can form bonds of friendship and reclaim their masculinity.
