Chinatown is growing rapidly. Situated in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Chinatown is an amalgam of restaurants, apartments, grocery stores, vendors, street food, sights, and sounds. Apart from some obvious Asian influences that make Chinatown what it is today, there has been an ongoing gentrification of the neighborhood that can often be inconvenient for the established residents of Chinatown. Nevertheless, more and more Chinese businesses have gained traction, all the while transforming what once was a much larger area called Little Italy. When people visit Chinatown, they may be expecting the exotic, or foreign, but in reality that is often not what they find. The identity of the Chinese American is much more complex than a hodgepodge of stereotypes. In Ang Lee’s movie, The Wedding Banquet, the true nature of Chinese immigration and the Chinese American is explored through themes of culture, tradition, food, family, and even sexual identity. While the success of Chinese immigration to Lower Manhattan can be defined by the perseverance, business savviness, and old family values of the Chinese community, the reality and true state of Chinatown is one that is recreating and redefining what it means to be a New Yorker.

The Chinese have been living in America ever since gold was first struck in California during the gold rush of the late 1800’s. The primary reason why many Chinese immigrants came to America was to make more money and being able to support themselves and their families back home. The Chinese were the first to build America’s railroads, and they also worked in factories. Most Chinese immigrants just wanted to escape the economic hardships they faced back in China. Unfortunately, the Chinese were the targets of racism from already established workers of European descent since many Americans at the time believed the Chinese were stealing their potential jobs. This outcry of hate towards the Chinese became so terrible that in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act barred all people of Chinese origin from the United States.

 

This was the first time in American history that a group of people were blocked from the country due to race. Not only did this cause anguish and longing in the Chinese that were stuck in the United States, but set a precedent of racism that lasted all throughout World War II. Only until 1965, with the passing of the 1965 Immigration Act, did new waves of Chinese immigrants come to the United States.  In more modern times, the Chinatown that many people associate with did not really exist until the 1970’s. But back then living conditions were not very desirable and hardly resembled the prime area of real estate Chinatown is today. As more and more Chinese immigrants settled in the neighborhood, the sheer location of Chinatown has attracted many businesses to try to take over what once was a more residential place. This transformation of Chinatown has been taking place over the past few decades, and this gentrification has caused poorer Chinese residents to leave their homes.

Chinatown is a remarkable place. It is hard to think of another part of New York City that has so great a selection of culture in a one area. When I visited Chinatown, I was first attracted to all the food that I saw. The first thing I did when I got to Chinatown was go inside this dumpling house. I ordered pork dumplings with chives. And when they got to my table, I tried the different sauces near me. Each sauce created a new flavor combination and to me this was exciting because I wondered what other good eats could I find in the neighborhood. That is what Chinatown is. It is a place filled with endless curiosity and new experiences, but also provides a sense of comfort for its residents and the people that share its culture. I may not be Chinese myself, but I found myself appreciating what great food the Chinese has brought to America. These may seem like seemingly insignificant observations but to me, I think food is really something that allows people to share culture, and creates new connections between people. I think that when people go to Chinatown they may be expecting to be somehow catapulted to a place that resembles China from ancient times. In actuality, Chinatown is nestled quite well into Lower Manhattan. There are high-rise buildings, banks, McDonald’s, and in all honesty is very modern. Of course there are Chinese restaurants, and loads of Chinese people walking around, but a person walking in Chinatown will still feel like they are in New York City. At least that is what I think. My observations of Chinatown are basically that it very crowded, and popular. There are many tourists walking the streets. It ends just where Little Italy begins, right at the intersections of Grand Street and Mott Street. It also surrounds what is known as Grand Park. This is where I tried to interview several residents. Chinatown is an interesting place that is a must visit if you love Asian cuisine and Asian culture.

What is the immigrant identity? It is a complex idea that is hard to define, especially when it comes to Chinese immigration. Based on the people that I interviewed I got a sense that the Chinese American identity was not just about eating Chinese food, or something one-dimensional like that, but was constantly evolving. I talked to people that worked in small businesses as well as random Chinese people I saw in the streets because I wanted to get different perspectives. I also crossed over to Little Italy and talked to the people at stores there, as well as took a tour at the Museum of the Chinese in America. I felt that in order to get a better understanding of the journey of the Chinese American identity, I needed to understand its people and the people that were affected by Chinese immigration.

I talked to a lady that worked in a Chinese herbal shop and asked her how important tradition and family was to her. She nervously replied, “It is very important, family is very important”. She also remarked how having a good job to support your family is important as well. So I first got the sense that family and job stability was a part of the Chinese identity. Next, after getting the common “I don’t speak English” or a similar remark, I was able to talk to a young, and kind-faced Chinese man who was with his father. They were about to go to a restaurant. I interviewed him about the identity of Chinatown and what type of people lived here. He told me how rich Chinese businessman were kicking out poorer Chinese families. From him I could tell how much pain the Chinese felt not only from non-Chinese businesses but also from people of their own race. I could tell how competitive a place Chinatown really was. Without the business skills needed to succeed in such an established neighborhood, setting up a new restaurant or anything was out of the question. Dozens of restaurants lined each street, there were no open spaces. So again, what is the immigrant identity that I was trying to discover. So far, I got the sense that the Chinese identity was one that held family values in high esteem, and being successful in one’s job was a given as well.

Interestingly, as I interviewed more people, and the deeper I went to Little Italy, I got more idealistic answers, and less business centered responses from people. I then went to a Chinese bakery and ordered two egg tarts. I sat down, and waited for people to sit down across from me. This man of Asian descent along with his friend who was dark skin sat down, and began talking about politics. I was nervous to talk to them, but I gave it a shot. What followed was a very interesting conversation. I soon found out that the Asian man was of Indonesian and Chinese descent. He told me more about how important money was to Chinese people. He was saying how all Chinese businesses, “only cared about money”. He was saying how wherever Chinese people go, they start businesses. He said Chinese people really work hard. He also talked about how there is discrimination towards Chinese people, and even talked about racism in Texas. I got this sense that he did not resent Chinese people, but instead was trying to be truthful about his thoughts on the subject. He sounded so sincere and was so engaging with me. I really enjoyed talking to him.

What I got out of the conversation was that the identity that I was searching for is primarily rooted in hard work. At this point I felt like I had gotten enough perspective from people in Chinatown, so I ventured a couple blocks into Little Italy. I wanted to know how Italian people felt about the incredible growth of Chinatown in recent years. What I received really shocked me to my core. I first visited a very popular Italian marketplace called Di Palo’s. I was quite anxious because I did not know how well an Italian place would take questions regarding the expansion of Chinatown. Regardless, I spoke to a customer that definitely sounded like he was an Italian. He had a thick accent, and dark rimmed glasses. When I asked him about Chinatown, his demeanor took the form of a grimace and he responded by saying, “You’re asking an Italian, you know, right?”. I was about to answer him, when all of a sudden one of the workers behind the counter rushed over, after hearing our conversation and had this to say: “As long as there are families like mine, Little Italy will never die out”. This man, who had a thick New Yorker accent, was telling all about the gentrification of the areas surrounding Di Palo’s, as well as the pride of Italians. My experience at Di Palo’s showed me that the Italian mentality on Chinatown was that despite the growth of it, they would not let their own culture succumb. The man behind the counter said that gentrification was neither good nor bad. And I think that really hints at the fact that change is inevitable no matter what we try to do. What really makes a difference is what we do to improve in spite of the changes. I think that the Italians in Little Italy have evolve after the onset of Chinese business growth and in doing so, have really solidified their place in the culture of New York City. I also visited Alleva, named ‘the oldest cheese shop in the America’ and I got another really heartfelt and emotional response from a vendor in there as well. He was telling me about all the silver linings about gentrification, such as having a really close-knit customer base, people that you get to see week after week, but also he inlaid in me a notion that he did not resent the Chinese at all. Instead he saw the Chinese as a force that made him a better worker, and a better person. I think what I got from my encounters in both Chinatown and Little Italy was that the Chinese identity is one that is ever changing the demographic of New York City.

In The Wedding Banquet, Wai-Tung is a gay Chinese American. He is a hard-working person, but at the same time struggles with the fact that his parents want him to marry and start a family. The movie deals with the Chinese identity and the stereotypes, as well as outdated ideals of Chinese immigrants. Wai-Tung fits all the stereotypes about a Chinese immigrant, or in this case ‘yappie’ (young Asian professional), while also contradicting some of those ideas by being gay. He does not wish to continue the family line, because he already has a male partner, and although he speaks Mandarin, he is also quite accustomed to American culture. I think the movie really redefines the idea of the model minority. This was a term that I got from talking to one of the tour guides, Alex, at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). We had a long conversation about the movie, as Alex knew about it. He was trying to get across to me the point that the model minority of the Chinese immigrant, basically one that fits all the traditional stereotypes: good grades, hard worker, makes a good salary, does better in school than other groups, is really not true. There is no such thing as the model minority because no one group will ever fit the description. I think that Wai-Tung really exemplifies what it means to be a Chinese American. His character as a gay Chinese man who is also a successful businessman really gets across the point that the identity of the Chinese American is complex and cannot be defined by a few stereotypes.

The Chinese population makes up 1.23 percent of the American population (US Census). The Chinese immigrant has had to face racism, while also pursuing a better life in the States. The promise of economic and social mobility attracted many Chinese immigrants. Chinatown is a mixture of the old and new, and while it is still growing the future of Chinatown is unclear. Will it be all high-rise buildings and department stores in 20 years, or will it continue to be the hub of culture it is today? What is obvious is that the Chinese identity has helped shape Chinatown, through its ability to harbor different cultures, and has influenced everyone that is exposed to it.

Work Cited

“US Census Population 1790-1990: Comparison of Asian Populations during the Exclusion Years”. US Census