1903 - Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-USZ62-105982]  - From www.nychinatown.org
Chinatown 2008; Photo taken by Robert K. Chin - From www.nychinatown.org

    When I read the articles about Chinatown, I was shocked by how Chinatown was like back in the 1900s. Beck’s piece made me question about the present Chinatown; whether there are still hidden rooms behind stores. I even questioned myself about the distinctive smells that he had talked about. The two readings made me wonder about the differences in the old Chinatown and the current Chinatown.
    In one of the readings it talked about how the 1900s Chinatown was full of Chinese people and not so much of Caucasians. Yet, from the pictures above it seems to me that the modern Chinatown is more similar to China than the 1900s Chinatown.
    From the two pictures I noticed that the buildings may have been modified or rebuilt but the street remained the same. The street was not widened and stores continue to exist as a part of residential buildings.
    It is very interesting to compare pictures of the past and present, and see how it have changed over the course of a period.