Chinatown(s) Neighborhood

Relevancy Of the Project

We began this project last fall, in the context of a pandemic that has since created a massive surge in anti-Asian hate crimes. Topics that we’ve been researching all year—racism, prostitution, etc.—exist in a significantly different context than the one in which they were first introduced. In the beginning, it seemed like a much larger stretch to connect photographs and written accounts from Los Angeles’ Chinatown during the 1870s and 1880s to now. But as demonstrated in recent news and media coverage, anti-Asian racism is becoming more prevalent in the mainstream conscious. More importantly, with the added acknowledgement that none of this discourse is new.

We hope that our project brings to light the historical precedent established for anti-Asian discrimination in the US, particularly in Los Angeles and Southern California. We’ll be discussing historical events that have impacted the perception of Asian Americans today, such as the Chinese Massacre of 1871, as well acknowledging the limited scope of the umbrella term “Asian American” for recognizing Asian ethnic groups outside of a predominantly East-Asian lens. The issues originating in Los Angeles’ first Chinatown have since manifested themselves in concepts such as the model minority myth, being perceived as a perpetual foreigner, and more. It’s important to recognize that studying Asian American history contributes to the cultural and political decisions made for these groups today, particularly in the aftermath of recent events in Atlanta, or the rampant xenophobia that has continued to impact Asian Americans since the start of the pandemic.

We hope that our work is informative, and encourages discussion of events both past and present; although a significant portion of Asian American history is rooted in discrimination, it’s also important to celebrate the Asian American community that exists today. Contextualizing its history helps contribute a multi-faceted understanding of Asian America, and works to dissolve the notion that Asian Americans are a monolithic group.

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