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U.S. NEWS Monday 30 May 2022
Chinatowns more vibrant after pandemic, anti-Asian violence

(AP) - The last week of April of her dining table.
was a whirlwind for San In Vancouver’s Chinatown,
Francisco’s Chinatown. the pandemic only exac-
The storied neighborhood erbated ongoing issues of
debuted the “AAPI Com- vandalism, graffiti and oth-
munity Heroes Mural,” a er crimes. But within the last
mostly black and white year, the Canadian city
depiction of 12 mostly un- managed to launch cultur-
sung Asian American and al projects planned before
Pacific Islander figures on COVID-19.
the wall of a bank. Three Last month, the Chinatown
days later “Neon Was Nev- Mural Project showed off
er Brighter,” the first ever a series of pastoral murals
Chinatown contempo- painted by a local artist on
rary arts festival, took over six roller shutters of a tea
the streets throughout the shop. In November, the in-
night. Traditional lion and teractive Chinatown Sto-
dragon dances, a couture rytelling Centre with relics
fashion show and other and recorded oral histories
public “art activations” opened.
were featured in the block “We would have done this
party-like event. anyway (regardless of the
Cultural and arts orga- pandemic),” said Carol
nizations in Chinatowns Lee, chair of the Vancou-
across North America have ver Chinatown Foundation,
worked for decades on which oversees the Cen-
bringing greater apprecia- tre. “But you know, in some
tion and visibility to these Lanterns hang in Chinatown above Grant Avenue in San Francisco, Monday, May 23, 2022. (AP ways, it makes you feel like
communities. But they Photo/Eric Risberg) you have more purpose
faced an unprecedented because it’s more neces-
one-two punch when the said Jenny Leung, execu- spreadsheets to track 400 a “crazy” two-month prep sary.”
pandemic caused shut- tive director of the Chi- deliveries. window, there was a col- Jordan Eng, president of
downs and racist anti-Asian nese Culture Center of San “Honestly, there’s no way lective feeling of “we just the Vancouver Chinatown
attacks increased — and Francisco, which is part of I could have imagined need to be together,” said Business Improvement As-
continue. As painful as the Collaborative. Youths something that would gal- Yin Kong, Think!Chinatown sociation, agreed that
those events are, they also voted on who to put on the vanize these people that co-founder and director. there’s more collaboration
indelibly influenced the re- mural. I know. Even myself, like, And there was a “tectonic and “a lot more youth inter-
emergence of various Chi- “Frequently the way that I feel much more con- shift” with philanthropy fo- est than there was five, 10
natowns as close-knit hubs Chinatown looks is im- nected and committed,” cusing on equity. years ago.”
of vibrancy and culture. ported as a tourist kind of Chuck said. “It’s a silver lin- “It reprioritized these other There are fewer than 50
Cynthia Choi, co-founder attraction and fantasy for ing.” organizations that tradition- Chinatowns across the U.S.
of the Stop AAPI Hate re- visitors to see,” Leung said. In New York, the first of ally would have funded with some more active
porting center, is still “blown “It’s never really about cel- five summer night markets other things to focus on than others.
away” to be one of the ebrating the community’s start next month in the how to support communi- Many Chinatowns took
heroes painted in the San perspective and voice.” city’s Chinatown. It will be ties of color in a different shape in the 19th century
Francisco mural. But being The idea for the “Neon” fes- the biggest event to date way,” Kong said. as Chinese laborers arrived
at the festival was equally tival was briefly discussed for Think!Chinatown. The The expanded event next to mine for gold out West or
touching for her. pre-pandemic. But the 5-year-old nonprofit has month will have 20 booths work on the railroad. They
“I got really emotional events of the last two years done numerous projects and sponsorships, and will lived there because of bla-
because it’s been so long lent urgency to it. like artists-in-residency pro- be scheduled when most tant discrimination or self-
since I’d seen so many “We wanted to kind of grams and oral histories. Chinatown restaurants are preservation. Their housing
people come out to China- push that deadline a little But last year after a series closed so owners can par- was single-room-occupan-
town, especially at night. I bit earlier in order to be of verbal and physical as- ticipate. cy units, or SROs, with com-
had heard so many of my able to address the 20, 30, saults against Asians, they “The mechanisms that got munal kitchens and bath-
friends or family saying, ’I 40, empty storefronts that partnered with Neighbor- us there would not have rooms, said Harvey Dong,
don’t want to go to Chi- are increasingly rising in the hoods Now, a local pan- happened without the a lecturer in ethnic studies
natown,” she said. “I knew community,” said Leung, demic relief initiative, on pandemic,” said Kong, and Asian American stud-
it was going to be fun and who characterizes China- Chinatown Nights. who feels Think!Chinatown ies at University of Califor-
exciting, but I was really town as a “museum with- It was a small-scale gath- is now seen as more “legit” nia, Berkeley. Many older
moved.” out walls.” ering of less than 10 artist with better funding, full- Chinese Americans and
There has been renewed Josh Chuck, a local film- booths and food trucks in time staff and the possibility immigrants in Chinatown
attention from cities, com- maker behind the docu- Forsyth Plaza park. Despite of an office space instead reside in these units still.q
panies and younger Asian mentary “Chinatown Ris-
Americans from outside ing,” has noticed younger LIKE US ON
these historic Chinatowns. generations dining or
Wells Fargo partnered with participating in events in
the Chinatown Media & Chinatowns. A friend who
Arts Collaborative on the works in tech began last
“heroes” mural. Everyone year picking up orders for
wanted to “really address friends who wanted to
anti-Asian hate and to up- support Chinatown restau-
lift Asian American voices,” rants. Soon he was making Facebook.com/arubatoday/