COVERED ASSETS AND FDIC INDEMNIFICATION ASSET (Details 5) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Covered nonaccrual loans	$ 215,522,000	[1],[2],[3]		$ 215,522,000	[1],[2],[3]		$ 194,506,000	[1],[2],[3]
Total nonperforming loans	215,522,000			215,522,000			194,506,000
Other real estate owned covered, net	27,613,000			27,613,000			63,624,000
Total covered nonperforming assets	243,135,000			243,135,000			258,130,000
Changes in the accretable yield for the covered loans
Balance at beginning of period	620,468,000		980,932,000	785,165,000		1,153,272,000
Accretion	(48,332,000)		(51,307,000)	(128,968,000)		(162,747,000)
Changes in expected cash flows	(33,920,000)		(49,581,000)	(117,981,000)		(110,481,000)
Balance at end of period	538,216,000		880,044,000	538,216,000		880,044,000
Covered assets - other disclosures
Amount of loans removed from the covered loans accounted under ASC 310-30, excluding scheduled principal payments				684,200,000		709,600,000
Loan discount related to payoffs and removals of loans				74,300,000		80,600,000
Loans accounted for under ASC 310-10
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Covered nonaccrual loans	26,200,000			26,200,000
Covered OREO Properties
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Number of covered OREO properties	46			46			82
Number of covered OREO properties added during the period				46
Aggregate carrying value of covered OREO properties added during the period				24,700,000
Net writedowns included in aggregate carrying value on covered OREO properties				9,200,000
Number of covered OREO properties sold during the period				82
Total proceeds value of covered OREO properties sold during the period				56,300,000
Combined net gains (losses) on covered OREO properties sold during the period				$ 4,800,000
Covered OREO Properties | Geographic Concentration | California
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total				50.00%
Covered OREO Properties | Geographic Concentration | Washington
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total				17.00%
United Commercial Bank (UCB)
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total				94.00%
Number of general geographic regions				3
United Commercial Bank (UCB) | Geographic Concentration | California
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total				64.00%
United Commercial Bank (UCB) | Geographic Concentration | New York
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total				11.00%
United Commercial Bank (UCB) | Geographic Concentration | Hong Kong
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total				10.00%

[1] Covered nonaccrual loans include loans that meet the criteria for nonaccrual but have a yield accreted through interest income under ASC 310-30 and all losses on covered loans are 80% reimbursed by the FDIC.

[2] Represents principal balance net of discount.

[3] Includes $26.2 million of loans accounted for under ASC 310-10, of which some loans have additional partial balances accounted for under ASC 310-30.