chinatown's evolution & struggle for equality

          These past two weeks, I have explored Chinatown through various angles. From the immigrant’s instant struggle to integrate amongst society, to fighting racism and taking cases through the courts, the experiences the Chinese endured is what can only be described as a glaring red flag in the United State’s already tumultuous history. Through documentaries and the various tours we’ve taken, whether it's the Chinatown Alleyway Tours or simply walking through the Ping Yuen estates, everyone’s message was fairly similar: the time it took to attain even an ounce of equality was no easy battle, and the Chinatown we know today is far different from the one it once was.
​          Gordon Chin’s 'Building Community, Chinatown Style' depicts the long history Chinatown has faced. From immigrants first arriving to San Francisco’s port, to them settling amongst their own kind and facing instant isolation from society, it certainly hasn’t been easy. During my time in the Urban Institute program, a few events have continued to stick in my mind. In his book, Chin paints the vivid image of an innocent girl, tiredly climbing up the stairs of a Ping Yuen estate, only to be raped and promptly thrown off the building by an intoxicated man. Not only was she thrown down, but once the man had noticed she was still moving, he retrieved her and threw her down a second time, ensuring that she would be killed. It still haunts my brain every time I think about how easily anyone could have been murdered during that time. The subsequent rent strike was a proud moment for me as an Asian American. It was considered one of the most successful rent strikes in San Francisco history, and proved that we were strong, despite the many risks the residents faced such as eviction.
​          Another event was the demolishment of the I Hotel. As Mrs. Lee, the leader of PYRIA, put it, all the tenants could not believe that their beloved building was going to be taken down. Together, they all held hands as protests erupted, and surrounded the building, in hopes that the government would not take it away. Alas, the police forced them to move, and the removal of the I Hotel was set to begin. It’s daunting to know how easily history could be switched, and with one single regulation passed, it could have changed the entire history of Chinatown. With the Financial District attempting to creep in, the politics involved were heavy and dangerous. One wrong move could cost you an entire lifetime of achievements. the government were close to the end goal, but with the help of Rose Pak, leader of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. She led the charge in overturning the previous ruling to convert housing by displacing residents, and Chinatown had once again, won.
            While visiting the SROs, it brought memories from the previous summer. I had visited the very same building to door knock, attempting to get residents to participate in tenant services. While The interior of the building hadn’t changed much, I hadn’t truly noticed how tiny the rooms were inside. As I peeked in, i found that the rooms were a shock. It reminded me of the cage homes in Hong Kong, where people literally lived in a single bed, locked inside a cage. While the SROs technically complied with the city’s regulations, it was far from spacious living conditions. With San Francisco’s rising population, SROs have become increasingly popular, as they are relatively cheap compared to market price. Even if the price per square foot was similar, the amount of space was far less, so they would have to pay for less. The hallways felt narrow, cramped, a sense of being trapped followed. It was cleaner than other cage homes I had visited previously, but it was still so small. I doubt we could have even fit into the laundry room - and we really didn’t have that many people to begin with. This is when I understood why Portsmouth Square was such an important space to people in Chinatown - it truly was their living room. As there was no common space, when they didn’t want to be holed up in their room, they would go down. These people living in SROs are often overlooked, and only known as residents of the Chinatown district, nothing more, nothing less.     
          With the number of shops quickly diminishing, it has brought the rise of more ‘aesthetic’, modern stores similar to Urban Outfitters or Free People. As mentioned in my previous reflection, it has been fascinating for me to see modern concepts take over an area with an aging population, bringing tourists in to explore the aesthetic. While most of Chinatown still retains it’s cliche China vibe, with it’s intricately cultural designs on buildings to stores crammed with just about any souvenir imaginable, it has been interesting to see how Chinatown has evolved from it’s past, and how it will change in the future. 
                                                                      – guinivere yeung