We face racism and discrimination in our everyday lives.

  • Issues-6People often encounter anti-Chinese or anti-immigrant hostility, even in Chinatown. For instance, due to systemic racism and economic inequality, many poor Chinese residents are seen as undeserving by other poor residents at local food banks and in soup lines, resulting in verbal and physical conflicts.
  • Many new businesses in Chinatown have installed Chinese signage or traditional building elements, but these businesses are unaffordable and do not provide relevant services for the community. Restaurants print Chinese words as decoration on their menus while being too expensive for residents; art galleries and museums display old Chinese signage as tokens and do not meaningfully reflect the histories of the community. Not only is this confusing to people who speak Chinese, it perpetuates an artificial, stereotypical understanding of Chinatown and only gives the appearance that these new businesses serve the community.
  • People do not have access to culturally competent and language-appropriate health care and social services. This contributes to their overall feeling of being powerlessness in their everyday lives.