Week 6: From Farm to Canal Street and Examining the Historic Struggles of Chinatown

Hi everyone!

Last week I discussed the possibility of conducting interviews with street vendors and getting their perspectives on how to support Chinatown businesses and what their main struggles are.

This plan has been delayed yet again since the survey needs to first be approved by the Small Business Services. I spoke with my on site boss, Alice, and we will probably have to wait a few weeks before this is possible since the surveys need to first be approved. So I took this week to catch up on my readings and do my own self research.

First off, I continued reading my From Farm to Canal Street. It has opened my eyes to see that Chinatown’s food industry is made possible by a global network and how vital the food is to the community. It has allowed me to explore Chinatown in a new lens. It leaves me with questions about how the global chain of food marketing has been impacted by Chinatown’s struggles. I have viewed it through the research of Valerie Imbruce and I hope to share more of what I learned from this book in my final research paper.

A part of my senior project that I am very interested in for my own knowledge is understanding the historic struggles of Chinatown and how its unique challenges continue to reflect in the present. This week, I started reading New York City Chinatown Chinese: Narratives of a Village and Community (New York City Chinatown Oral History Project) as well as looking at oral histories from Chinatown following 9/11 on the Museum of Chinese America site. I want to get a better scope on issues in Chinatown that persist and impact the businesses and residents.

I want to share with you my plans for the upcoming weeks (some stuff which is involved with the senior project and the other part in regards to my on site internship). Think!Chinatown is holding their first installment of Chinatown Night Markets starting on May 20th. I will be attending and be there to celebrate in uplifting and giving Chinatown’s businesses the recognition they deserve. You can learn more about the event on Think!Chinatown’s social media or through reading this article. In regards to what I’ll do in the next few weeks that will be a part of my research is completing Behavioral Mapping Tabulation of the neighborhood. I will be working with Alice and observing community members and visitors of Chinatown and how they interact with the neighborhood but also the business. 

Thanks for reading!