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After a five-year hiatus, Arcadia City Council is considering reinstating a policy that would let property owners pay to be assigned a more auspicious house number, which some believe would improve the value of their home. The number 4 in a street address is considered a bad omen in many Asian cultures. In Mandarin language, the word "four" sounds like the word for death, while the number eight is considered lucky, because it sounds like the word for prosper. Arcadia's Asian population is approaching 60% and most potential buyers will be Asian. In a 3-2 vote, Arcadia City Council endorsed the move in principle and directed staff to report back on the costs involved.

https://arcadiahistory.andornot.com/en/permalink/newspaper32398
Newspaper
Pasadena Star News
Date
May 15, 2011
Pages
p. A1, A6
More detail
Newspaper
Pasadena Star News
Date
May 15, 2011
Pages
p. A1, A6
Subjects
Arcadia City Council--2010-2019
House numbers
Property values
Item ID
32596AN
Collection
Newspaper Index
Less detail

Arcadia City Council has agreed to reconsider the controversial policy of not allowing homeowners to change their addresses, after several homeowners complained they can't sell their homes at fair market value, due to a popular Chinese belief that the number four is unlucky. Arcadia Mayor Gary Kovacic said, "...I think we have to look at the true economic impact of this." Councilman Roger Chandler said, "I don't think we should operate public policy on superstition."

https://arcadiahistory.andornot.com/en/permalink/newspaper32556
Newspaper
Pasadena Star News
Date
October 2, 2011
Pages
p. A3
More detail
Newspaper
Pasadena Star News
Date
October 2, 2011
Pages
p. A3
Subjects
Arcadia City Council--2010-2019
Chinese culture
House numbers
Luong, Daniel (photo)
Property values
Real Estate
Item ID
32755AN
Collection
Newspaper Index
Less detail

Arcadia City Council today will once more reconsider whether to allow customer-requested address changes in light of concerns about a Chinese superstition involving the number four. Since the number four sounds like the word for death in Mandarin and is considered unlucky, some realtors and residents have argued that addresses that end in the number four are more difficult to sell and affect home prices. The cost of processing an address change would be about $2600.

https://arcadiahistory.andornot.com/en/permalink/newspaper33079
Newspaper
Pasadena Star News
Date
July 3, 2012
Pages
p. A3
More detail
Newspaper
Pasadena Star News
Date
July 3, 2012
Pages
p. A3
Subjects
Arcadia City Council--2010-2019
Chinese culture
House numbers
Luong, Daniel (photo)
Property values
Real Estate
Street addresses
Item ID
33276AN
Collection
Newspaper Index
Less detail

Birth-tourism sites not easily detected.Terry Moore-Corse, a code enforcement officer in Arcadia has encountered three maternity homes in the past six years, most recently in 2009, when a resident reported "a lot of pregnant women" coming out of a house. Beyond building code and business license violations, there is nothing illegal about coming into this country to give birth, according to the U.S. State Department, which issues visas. Maternity tourism is a money-making cottage industry in which wealthy women from Asia pay anywhere from $25,000-35,000 to have American-born infants.

https://arcadiahistory.andornot.com/en/permalink/newspaper32364
Newspaper
Pasadena Star News
Date
March 31, 2011
Pages
p. A1, A6
Announcement Type
Birth
More detail
Newspaper
Pasadena Star News
Date
March 31, 2011
Pages
p. A1, A6
Announcement Type
Birth
Subjects
Asians
Building codes--violations
Maternity tourists
Moore-Corse, Terry
Mothers
Item ID
32562AN
Collection
Newspaper Index
Less detail