Dean Wong: Made in Chinatown, USA - Chinatown Organizations Remain

"Six Chinatown Tongs and family associations remain in Portland Chinatown. Members still come to Chinatown to attend meetings once a month. “We re going to stick with Chinatown even though other people have left,” said Richard Kwong, president of Soo Yuen Association.

Each organization has well over 100 members. Gee How Oak Tin Association has 500 members with surnames Chin, Woo and Yuen. The Association has seven rooms in their building with tenants paying $200 a month to live there. The tenants are also members.

Pointing out a gold covered wood carving over 100 years old, Gene Chen, elder of the Gee How Oak Tin Association says he misses all the businesses that are now gone. When asked about the “New Chinatown,” along SE 82nd, Chen says the real Chinatown is here next to Old Town, not the suburbs.
“We are trying to keep the traditions of Chinatown,” said Kwong.

“Thirty plus years I’ve been coming to Chinatown,” Yee said. Yee said she is “sad” about the state of Chinatown. The businesses which are gone. The homeless situation. Gentrification.

Sing Tong and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association are the six remaining Chinese traditional associations in Chinatown."