Advocating for Philadelphia's Chinatown
How the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation is advocating for this important community.
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Written by Priya Chhaya
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is working to support the preservation of America's Chinatowns. Sign our petition today to commit to the cultural preservation of America’s Chinatowns for future generations.
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Philadelphia’s Chinatown formed in 1871 when Lee Fong opened a laundry business at 913 Race Street. He was one of the many residents who fled the West coast after anti-Chinese attacks and prejudice.
While population growth ebbed and flowed over the years, it was only after the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943 that families began arriving, exponentially increasing the population of Chinatown.
Over its 150 years of existence, as Philadelphia expanded, the Chinatown community watched as development, road widening, and other construction projects (such as a casino, stadiums, a prison) related to urban renewal threatened the neighborhood in which they lived. In 2023 Philadelphia's Chinatown was listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.
John Chin Headshot (2024) by Courtesy John ChinNational Trust for Historic Preservation
Meet John Chin
John Chin, executive director of the Philadelphia’s Chinatown Development Corporation, shared with us the history of his organization, the current threats to the community, and his hope for the future.
Vine Street Expressway
In 1966 the community faced a proposal by the city of Philadelphia for the Vine Street Expressway, a twelve-lane highway project that was going to cut through the Chinatown community and take half of the Holy Redeemer Church, and School, the only school in the neighborhood.
Robert Moy, Resident Testimony on the Vine Street Expressway Capping
In 2016, PCDC Celebrated their 50th anniversary. Hear from one of their founders, Cecilia Moy Yep.
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Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation today
"Today we are a community development corporation, building affordable housing, providing social services, providing housing counseling so people can buy homes in Philadelphia and Chinatown."
"... And also because our current commercial corridor is such a vibrant part of Chinatown, we have a small business commercial quarter program to support our small businesses. But we have found over the six decades that we've been around is that neighborhood planning is the key and success that has kept our Chinatown sustainable."
PCDC: Chinese New Year Parade (2019) by Philadelphia Chinatown Development CorporationNational Trust for Historic Preservation
Why is Philadelphia's Chinatown important?
"Philadelphia’s Chinatown is really important to preserve for several reasons. One is personal. I was born and raised in Chinatown so I'm a native Chinatown resident and I'm really personally invested..."
"...because my family, my wife's family, and we're both indebted to what Chinatown provided to us and still does to this day.
Secondly, Chinatowns are a gateway and the hub of Chinese culture. Here in Philadelphia, our shared history is one of being Chinese immigrants. Also, Chinatown here as a significant economic engine, immigrants who are native Chinese speakers can gain employment here in Chinatown, whereas they may find it difficult to get jobs in mainstream in the mainstream economy."
PCDC: Master Drawing Class with Kung Fu Panda Co-Director Stephanie Ma Stine (2024-01) by Philadelphia Chinatown Development CorporationNational Trust for Historic Preservation
Memories About Philadelphia's Chinatown
"I have many great memories about Chinatown. I grew up in the early seventies in Chinatown and Chinatown was blighted, but as a child, I had no idea. All I knew that Chinatown was a wonderful neighborhood that I'd love to live in."
"We had our friends and families live across the street from us. Everything that we wanted and needed, Chinatown offered to us. This Chinatown gave me such a strong sense and proud sense of my Chinese identity, and I don't know if I could have gotten the same level of self-confidence if I lived outside Chinatown where I would be a minority."
"History of Chinatown" Mural (2019) by Carol M. Highsmith and Library of CongressNational Trust for Historic Preservation
My backyard was in Chinatown
"I have to admit that my backyard in Chinatown was this alleyway behind my parents' restaurant. That's where I rode my bike, and that's where I kicked the soccer ball. To me, everything was fantastic."
"I could walk anywhere in Chinatown and my parents felt safe that I could go on my own even as an 8-year-old in Chinatown because the community was small. Families knew one another, and it provides just a strong sense of community, and I love these memories.
Friday nights, PCDC developed something called the Crane Chinatown Community Center. And Friday nights we have what I call these OGs, old guys that grew up in Chinatown in their sixties and seventies, older than me. But after basketball, there's like three hours of barbecue and they just sit around and chit-chat about the memories they have in Chinatown. It's such a strong connection, not only for me, but I found that a strong connection to many generations that have lived in Chinatown."
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Philadelphia's Chinatown by the numbers
There are 300 Businesses, 45% commercial stores, and businesses serve 8,000 Chinatown residents and the broader Philadelphia region.
Protest against MLB Stadium in Philadelphia's Chinatown (2000) by Phialdelphia, PennsylvaniaNational Trust for Historic Preservation
Challenges facing Chinatowns
"Some of the challenges that our Chinatown community has faced over the years is all based on the fact that the public government sees Chinatowns as blighted neighborhoods. If we look at our founding of the East Coast, Chinatowns Boston founded in the Red-Light District."
"...New York Chinatown founded in the Bowery, and Philadelphia's Chinatown founded in a place called Skid Row. The fact is, is that Chinese Americans redeveloped these areas and raised families, raised children in these areas, and made something out of nothing."
"If you look at the fifties and the sixties, municipal governments created these urban renewal plans, again, identifying Chinatowns as blighted and needing government intervention. So what we have seen is these urban renewal projects thrusted upon our community in Philadelphia, whether we want it or not."
When we think of Chinatown, we think of the commercial quarter as one of the legs of the stool for Chinatown. The second is a strong Asian ethnic residential component. And the third is this being a cultural hub for all of the region of Philadelphia. I think in order for our Chinatown to survive, all three of these legs have to be strong. And for the last four years, we've seen some weakening of all three of these legs.
Save Chinatown, No Arena Posters (2023-03-13) by M. Levin / Wikimedia / and Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 InternationalNational Trust for Historic Preservation
The current threat is really gentrification first
"because the city real estate tax office is complicit in pushing up the assessment values of our properties in Chinatown, making it very unaffordable for residents to live here as well as small business owners to pay rent and operate."
"The second threat is the 76ers arena proposal. Is this 18,000 seat arena going to be so large overshadowing that it's going to change the dynamics of Chinatown? Is it going to push away the demand for goods and services that we traditionally align with Chinatowns?"
"We've seen the effects where it's actually displaced small businesses and residents from Chinatown, unless our Chinatown finds a solution, and we're looking at several right now, it's going to get worse, and we could be faced with a Chinatown that's no longer authentic or no longer majority Chinese."
PCDC: Chinese New Year Cultural Activities (2019) by Philadelphia Chinatown Development CorporationNational Trust for Historic Preservation
Hope for the Future
"Our hope is that we're here for another 20 years. Neighborhood planning looks at a span of 10-20 years. In order for that to happen, I think number one, the city of Philadelphia government needs to be a partner in the Preservation of Chinatown..."
"... because they are one of the single most harmful entities to Chinatown. Whether through urban renewal projects, which they need to stop, or two, the ever increasing assessment values that they place on properties in Chinatown forcing displacement of residents and businesses. They really need to work with us to figure out a long-term plan to create more affordable housing to create and underscore the ethnic identity of Chinatown and Chinatown's role as a cultural hub for Philadelphia."
Religious leaders_76ers hearing (2023-01) by Philadelphia Chinatown Development CorporationNational Trust for Historic Preservation
Why preserve Chinatowns?
"It is really important to preserve Chinatowns across the United States, because number one, we have a history and a story to tell across the country from the very first laborers that came from China to help build our Transcontinental Railroad."
"Secondly, through a lot of challenges, we figured out a way to stay in this country and build homes, build communities. And today the Asian community in America is one of the fastest growing immigrant communities. Philadelphia Chinatown's been here since 1870. We have so much history, it's worth preserving, its worth telling the story."
We can't let that symbolic attraction of Chinatown as a tourist destination overcome what I call our true essence, which is a family neighborhood with small business owners. - John Chin
For a full history of Philadelphia's Chinatown visit this interactive story from the Philadelphia Inquirer. For more about the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation.
Learn more about the National Trust for Historic Preservation's America's Chinatowns initiative.
5 Chinatowns and the Communities Working to Preserve Them (Google Arts & Culture)
How Chinatowns Nationwide Are Finding Ways to Thrive Into the Future (Preservation magazine)
About the author: Priya Chhaya is the associate director of content at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Read the full the history of Philadelphia’s Chinatown in this interactive story by Jasen Lo and Massarah Mikati from the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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