Recap | Fall 2022
Many of us frequent Chinatown in lower Manhattan to dine and shop. But when we return home, how much can we say we’ve learned about this neighborhood
We reached out to the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) to take a walking tour to understand how Chinatown became the neighborhood it is today.
We walked through Columbus Park, where a throng of people—many of whom were senior citizens—were gathered around tables, playing various games. The park serves as a place where the local community gathers to play games, perform traditional Chinese music, practice tai chi in the mornings. In 2019, the plaza was renamed after Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the revolutionary founder of the Republic of China. A statue of the founder was also installed in the plaza.
We stopped and spoke about the Manhattan Detention Complex, built despite the community’s opposition. There's a plan to shut down Rikers Island by 2027, backed by a $8 billion approved budget to substitute the jail with a web of smaller detention centers. There will be one in Chinatown, as well as three others across Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
Over the past few years, community members and advocates have been protesting and pushing back against the city’s plans to build a high-rise jail in the neighborhood. The funds, community members plead, could instead be directed towards more beneficial services such as mental health services, programmes for the elderly, and affordable housing.
With so much to think about, we completed our walk with a discussion over dim sum at Nom Wah Tea Parlor on Doyers Street.
“The tour and the guides helped illuminate a greater history and context for how so much of New York is tied to the global community.”
Reflections from Amp Club members
“The Chinatown walking tour was a great way to see what I thought was a familiar piece of New York City with a fresh perspective; left the tour with a better appreciation for the rich cultural history that inhabits every corner of the neighborhood and can’t wait to go back!"
— Aldo J.
“During our tour I was thinking a lot about how the clear establishment of these communities can make them targets not just for bigoted attacks but also government level neglect (or outright antagonism). However, it is the strength and personal investment of those in these communities that allows them to push back and band together and enact actual change.”
— Ryan C.
“I liked listening about the community landmarks within Chinatown. Our guide showed us different spots that Chinatown locals often visit such as Columbus Park or the Chinese school. It made Chinatown feel much more like a neighborhood, as opposed to other parts of Manhattan that are only filled with commercial or retail businesses. You could get a sense for how important public (and free) shared community spaces are.”
— Beckie C.
“Being able to learn about what makes a place feel the way it feels and look the way it looks is always an enriching experience.”
—Sabine O.
We would like to give a special thanks to the Museum of Chinese in America and our two guides for their time.