This session is made possible by the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. To learn more, visit our Partners page.

Chinatowns in the United States frequently evoke images of immigrant enclaves in megacities like New York City or San Francisco. Yet lesser-known Chinatowns, for example the community that existed in New Orleans for nearly a century, have also been key to shaping the cities and neighborhoods that remain today. The life and disappearance of Chinatowns and other immigrant communities reflect a larger, global reality: the resilience and vulnerability of Chinatowns and other cultural centers in the face of environmental, economic, and socio-political change. 

The modern narrative around Chinatowns is often one of decline – neighborhoods threatened by large-scale development, economic and cultural displacement, outmigration, and many other factors. Some say that these communities move on because ethnic enclaves have grown obsolete due to assimilation, but a growing body of research suggests a different narrative – that Chinatowns are adapting and continue to serve an enduring and vital purpose.

To serve future generations, Chinatowns and other ethnic enclaves require urgent policy solutions and actions that address a holistic and interdisciplinary set of priorities, including economic and housing stability, improvements to the built environment, and social and cultural continuity. 

This session will be rooted in the experiences and lessons of Chinatowns in the South. Speakers will share their geographically and culturally diverse collective experiences and lessons-learned for preserving and building healthy and vibrant communities.