Chinatown Service Center

Chinatown Service Center is a community-based health and human service organisation serving immigrants and underserved communities in Southern California. Founded in 1971 by community volunteers through grassroots efforts, it operates multiple locations across Los Angeles County, including Chinatown, and is one of the largest Chinese-American health and human service organisations in the region. Its mission is to promote a better quality of life and equal opportunity for the communities it serves.

The centre operates as a Federally Qualified Health Center, delivering medical, dental and optometry care, alongside behavioural health support. Beyond clinical care, it provides social services that help immigrants overcome language barriers, adjust culturally and navigate government systems, as well as youth programmes and workforce development initiatives. Together these services account for more than 150,000 client touch points a year, covering over 30,000 unique clients.

Service delivery is organised around cultural and linguistic access. Staff work in five languages - English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Spanish - and care is designed to be culturally sensitive to the Chinese-American and other immigrant communities the organisation serves. More than 50 years of continuous operation have established it as a substantial provider of community health and social services in Los Angeles County.