COVID has impacted all of our lives. But the AAPI community has faced some of the biggest challenges
and adversity. To learn more, I visited New York City’s Chinatown and spoke with
activists confronting the problem head-on. With the AAPI community under attack due to
surging xenophobia, racist laws, and dangerous stereotypes—AKA Trump's favorite threeway—I
wanted to know what to do. So I went to my favorite neighborhood. I love Chinatown!
What? Oh, man. Anyway. I love Chinatown! So I’m touring the area, meeting with its activists,
business owners, artists, and community organizers to find some answers.
How do you combat this violence and racism? - Not to oversimplify things, but stop being
racist. Right.
The person answering my dumb question with the obvious answer is Jennifer of Welcome
to Chinatown, my tour guide for the day. We are gonna take a tour. We’re gonna go
all around. Where do you think we should go? - Well, I think the thing is that people think
of Chinatown as a place where you get cheap eats, and where tourists go to buy tschotskes.
Sure. - Chinatown is so much
more than that. People come to Chinatown to find a sense of belonging and community. And really,
we see that within the small businesses... Right. Businesses shutting down,
are you seeing that all around? - One hundred percent. That’s what
our work is really rooted in. Most of Chinatown, before they used to close at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00.
Now they make sure that they close before the sun starts to go down because they’re worried about
the safety of their employees getting home. - It’s really scary to feel concerned about
whether or not my grandmother, who comes down to the shop and opens up shop everyday, is safe.
Our first stop is Wing On Wo, Chinatown’s oldest
storefront. Mei is its fifth generation owner, and between COVID and all the violence,
she's been forced to keep her doors closed. - You know, just when we were feeling
hopeful with the vaccination, there’s this second wave of worry, right? Like can we actually open
our doors and feel safe to welcome anyone that walks into this space. I think all of us are
wanting to turn inwards and really stay in our porcelain shop bubble.
Did you consider naming your organization “Welcome to Chinatown Unless You’re
Xenophobic In Which Case Please Stay Away (Go to Soho, It’s Super Close!)?
- I know, right? Isn’t it kind of funny? Like, my parents immigrated from Hong Kong seeking
that concept of the American dream. And it’s like, yep, welcome to America, watch your back.
The United States has a long history of forcing Asian Americans to watch their
backs, and one example with deep roots is the model minority myth.
How many times have you explained the phrase model minority to a white person? And could you
do it just one more time? - Oh my god, um...
Anyone? - Um...
Anyone? - Yeah. So,
the model minority myth is basically a stereotype.
This is Senti of the Asian American Feminist Collective, and she was
explaining that the model minority myth: - Paints this picture of Asian Americans
as a minority group that’s highly successful, that’s highly educated,
and is, like, separate from other minority groups. - That put a significant wedge between Asian
Americans and Black Americans. Where you have two racial groups pitting against each other,
trying to have a place in American society. And that's why we have to dismantle it.
Strides to dismantle the wedge were on full display at rallies to end the violence against
AAPI community. Even dogs get the picture. Who’s a good boy? So why doesn't the government?
Shouldn’t the city be helping the city? - Yes. But we don’t feel supported.
Listen, if your beef is with DeBlasio,
take a number. - I will take a number because I am pissed.
But don't worry, politicians have it covered and have added more police. Wait. Oh
no. That's never the right response! - The NYPD has a history of surveilling,
attacking and profiling Asians and Asian Americans in New York City. Particularly people who are the
most vulnerable—sex workers, low wage workers, taxi drivers, street vendors, undocumeted people.
Cops don’t keep our communities safer. We have seen this the time and time again.
- Why do we just keep looping back to the thing that continues to harm us? Hello?
That’s our thing! That’s our brand! That’s America. So if police aren’t the answer, what is?
- It’s really important when thinking about solutions to look at the things that communities
are already doing for themselves. - We have self-organized groups
like Chinatown Block Watch. - We got together because
we care. This is home for us. We wanted to make sure that our elders were safe.
Here in Columbus Park you’ll find Gloria of Block Watch.
- Block Watch is mainly eyes and ears for the neighborhood. You know, we’re not armed,
we’re not there to pick fights and try to arrest people. We’re there as more of a
presence for the community—for them to see that if they need something, we can try to help them.
Over on Hester Street, another community-led organization is
working to combat a different form of violence. - There’s a violence in displacement, too.
This is Julie from CAAAV, an organization working to help save Chinatown from
gentrification's push towards extinction. - We see this in Chinatowns all across the
U.S. and the world. I personally focus on tenant organizing, so trying to address
the structural violence, you know, when rent gets so high you can no longer
keep the business you have built for yourself and your family. That is a type of violence, too.
It’s crucial to have people on the ground who understand the language, culture,
and traditions—and not just so they can show me around, but because the way the community
is presented to the world has a global impact. - When I first started photographing this project,
it wasn’t really a political move. Over on Doyers Street is Lanna,
a documentary photographer. Her work presents Chinatown beyond the stereotypes.
- You know, to be a photographer that’s female and also an Asian photographer capturing these women
of color and nonbinary skateboarders, it’s really powerful. I think it’s really important right now
to be documenting Asians in America. We just wanna feel like we belong here like anyone else.
You’re talking to our whole audience in this
piece. So what would you tell them to do? - Now more than ever, if you have a Chinatown
in your city, please go support them. - We need to keep this neighborhood thriving.
We need folks from outside the community to be allies.
If allyship is shopping, I'm on board! - Uh, no. We need accomplices, not
allies. Because allyship kind of makes it feel like you don’t have a stake in this.
But in fact, everybody has a stake in this. It's true—even you, our viewers! So visit our
social media to find out how you can get involved with organizations working to end AAPI violence.