The Decline of Chinatown

posted by Anthony

As an inhabitant of the city that claims North America’s largest Chinatown, I’m not exactly sure how to feel about this. Let’s be honest, Chinatowns are characteristically overcrowded, noisy and run a’muck with all sorts of unsavory smells. They are an odd mix of the non-homogenized immigrant types who actually live there and the out-of-town tourists who venture in to dabble at the oriental exotic. The slow exodus can be a good thing — a sign that barriers towards upwards mobility have ceded — as the article mentions. But does this also mean the decline of the safe haven motif for the elderly and culturally Chinese? Probably, although it’s safe to say this process is slow and that Chinatown isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. There remains some sentiment and heritage tied to the place, but I do tend to avoid it these days.