‘Passion to revitalize’: Vancouver hosts 1st U.S.-Canada ‘Chinatown Solidarity’ conference – BC | 24CA News
Delegates from 18 Chinatowns throughout Canada and the United States gathered in Vancouver on Tuesday for the continent’s first Chinatown Cultural Preservation and Revitalization convention.
The two-day “Chinatown Solidarity” occasion, attended by 50 representatives, goals to facilitate an trade of concepts on tips on how to revitalize, protect and safe the historic neighbourhoods, in addition to foster new collaborations between group leaders on either side of the border.
“There’s a passion to revitalize these neighbourhoods across North America,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim informed Global News.
“Some people blamed the Asian community for being the cause of the pandemic, and we got to a place where anti-Asian hate crime was up in Chinatowns across North America. They were getting thrashed and it’s good to see saner heads prevailing and people are starting to build back up these neighbourhoods.”
Sim was one in every of many recognizable names on the convention, which was additionally attended by U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen, U.S. Consul General in Vancouver D. Brent Hardt, and federal Minister for International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng.
Chinatowns in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York have been amongst these represented.
Lily Ho, president of San Francisco’s Delta Chinatown Initiative, stated newcomers from China have lengthy needed to “band together to survive.”
“(Chinatowns are) ethnic enclaves, created to be self-sustaining and to support our own community because we were excluded from normal institutional support,” she defined.
Jennifer Tam, co-founder and board chair of Welcome to Chinatown in New York, stated Chinatowns in Canada and the U.S. share related values and should be preserved for related causes.
“There is so much cultural context of what it has contributed to the American fabric, to the Canadian fabric,” Tam stated.
“Step number one is the recognition of what is at stake here, and that’s preserving all the foundation and framework that has been laid for us, for immigrants whether it’s immigrants from hundreds of years ago, to immigrants like my parents, who came from Hong Kong to set for a better life.”
Chinatowns create an “intergenerational connection,” and whereas some disagree on tips on how to honour historical past whereas guaranteeing long-term sustainability, these “uncomfortable conversations” are necessary to have, Tam added.
“It is an incredibly deeply layered community for Asian Americans, Asian Canadians. What’s at stake is being able to carry out that livelihood in a cultural context that’s meaningful.”
According to the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, Vancouver’s Chinatown is the third-largest in North America.
Carol Lee, the group’s chair, stated “change is the only constant” for Chinatowns, whose problem is deciding what they need that change to appear like.
“That’s kind of, in some ways, what worries me — there’s talk of a UNESCO designation. This is a living, breathing, evolving neighbourhood and it’s really about people and community,” Lee informed Global News.
“There’s some sense of comfort knowing that you’re not alone in this battle, that other people, other communities are facing the same issues.”
Over the previous few years, Vancouver’s Chinatown has been beset by issues, together with the monetary blow of the COVID-19 pandemic, a rise in racism, and a spike in crimes corresponding to window smashing, graffiti, theft and arson.
In February final 12 months, the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Association stated half of the Chinatown BIA’s annual finances had been spent on safety, including as much as $240,000 in 2021.
Earlier this month, the neighbourhood acquired $2.2 million in provincial funds to reshape and revitalize its retailers, streets, décor and infrastructure, in addition to practically $390,000 in municipal grants to assist graffiti elimination and different initiatives. Ottawa additionally contributed $1.8 million in February to assist improve infrastructure, improve landmarks and enhance tourism alternatives.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
