COVERED ASSETS AND FDIC INDEMNIFICATION ASSET (Details 5) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Covered nonaccrual loans	$ 164,303,000	[1],[2],[3]		$ 164,303,000	[1],[2],[3]		$ 204,310,000	[1],[2],[3]
Total nonperforming loans	164,303,000			164,303,000			204,310,000
Other real estate owned covered, net	26,940,000			26,940,000			26,808,000
Total covered nonperforming assets	191,243,000			191,243,000			231,118,000
Covered TDR activity
Balance at beginning of period	120,248,000		155,388,000	157,736,000		146,709,000
Additions	3,453,000		24,532,000	29,246,000		62,859,000
Charge-offs			(4,314,000)	(7,466,000)		(6,469,000)
Paydowns/ Reductions	(4,839,000)		(1,712,000)	(60,654,000)		(29,205,000)
Balance at end of period	118,862,000		173,894,000	118,862,000		173,894,000
Changes in the accretable yield for the covered loans
Balance at beginning of period	458,717,000		620,468,000	556,986,000		785,165,000
Accretion	(100,596,000)		(92,704,000)	(267,035,000)		(277,526,000)
Changes in expected cash flows	122,140,000		10,452,000	190,310,000		30,577,000
Balance at end of period	480,261,000		538,216,000	480,261,000		538,216,000
Covered assets - other disclosures
Amount reclassified from nonaccretable yield to accretable yield due to changes in loss rate assumptions	113,900,000			153,500,000
Amount of loans removed from the covered loans accounted under ASC 310-30, excluding scheduled principal payments				560,600,000		684,200,000
Loan discount related to payoffs and removals of loans				130,700,000		74,300,000
Covered loans accounted for under ASC 310-10
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Covered nonaccrual loans	26,800,000			26,800,000			29,600,000
Covered OREO Properties
Covered Nonperforming Assets
Number of covered OREO properties added during the period				20
Aggregate carrying value of covered OREO properties	26,900,000			26,900,000			26,800,000
Aggregate carrying value of covered OREO properties added during the period				22,700,000
Net adjustments included in aggregate carrying value on covered OREO properties				682,000
Number of covered OREO properties sold during the period				39
Total proceeds value of covered OREO properties sold during the period				25,300,000
Combined net gains (losses) on covered OREO properties sold during the period				$ 3,400,000
Covered OREO Properties | Geographic Concentration | California
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total				50.00%
Covered OREO Properties | Geographic Concentration | Texas
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total				14.00%
Covered OREO Properties | Geographic Concentration | Washington
Credit Risk and Concentrations
Percent of total				13.00%
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] Represents principal balance net of discount.

[2] Includes $26.8 million and $29.6 million of loans at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, accounted for under ASC 310-10, of which some loans have additional partial balances accounted for under ASC 310-30.

[3] 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.