"typically considered unusual" - In SF specifically? Certainly not unusual elsewhere eg London where there is clear cultural clustering.
An example of how this plays out is demonstrated in the article itself. The author says '80% asian-american' rather than 'asian neighborhood.'
From a political correctness perspective, people in the US don't want to be seen perpetuating anything that could be considered a form of segregation. Simultaneously it is considered negative to be seen as 'gentrifying' a neighborhood, i.e. disrupting the traditional demographics of a neighborhood.