North America’s Chinatowns are going through a revival after pandemic, anti-Asian violence
- Community and cultural organisations are working to help revive Chinatowns across North America
- Racist attacks left many Asian-Americans fearful about going out to shop, eat in Chinatowns
The last week of April was a whirlwind for San Francisco’s Chinatown.
The storied neighbourhood debuted the “AAPI Community Heroes Mural”, a mostly black and white depiction of 12 mostly unsung Asian-American and Pacific Islander figures on the wall of a bank.
Three days later “Neon Was Never Brighter”, the first ever Chinatown contemporary arts festival, took over the streets throughout the night. Traditional lion and dragon dances, a couture fashion show and other public “art activations” were featured in the block party-like event.
Cultural and arts organisations in Chinatowns across North America have worked for decades on bringing greater appreciation and visibility to these communities. But they faced an unprecedented one-two punch when the pandemic caused shutdowns and racist anti-Asian attacks increased – and continue. As painful as those events are, they also indelibly influenced the re-emergence of various Chinatowns as close-knit hubs of vibrancy and culture.
Cynthia Choi, co-founder of the Stop AAPI Hate reporting centre, is still “blown away” to be one of the heroes painted in the San Francisco mural. But being at the festival was equally touching for her.
“I got really emotional because it’s been so long since I’d seen so many people come out to Chinatown, especially at night. I had heard so many of my friends or family saying, ‘I don’t want to go to Chinatown’,” she said. “I knew it was going to be fun and exciting, but I was really moved.”