By Scott Berman
Across the country, Chinatowns are under assault from gentrification, urban renewal projects, and rising rent costs. Typically situated near city centers, Chinatowns occupy what is rapidly becoming some of the most valuable land in major metropolitans that have little room for growth elsewhere. As they continue to shrink, change demographically, and altogether disappear, the country is losing an incredible treasure trove of not just Chinese culture, but one of the great stories in American history. Today, the term Chinatown is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase for any pre-dominantly Asian area. Indeed, there are Koreatowns, Japantowns, Vietnamtowns, Pan-Asiantowns, and others; the ubiquitous use of the term Chinatown represents a longstanding familiarity among much of the population of famous Chinatowns in cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. 18
SUMMER 2018
"In 1882, the Chines passed by Congress ban on Chinese imm of ten years. This is United States histo group has been spe through legislation into the country."
