Exhibition 2.0: Our Home - Chinatown, Philadelphia | One Year Later
Chinatown is home.
The proposed Sixers arena has been another threat to the Chinatown community that has faced many threats over the decades which included the Vine Street Expressway, a proposed baseball stadium, and a proposed casino. Each time, the Chinatown community and broader coalitions of groups have banded together to fight against these developments that would significantly impact Chinatown in negative ways as has the Expressway has shown with it cutting Chinatown in half. While some may tout these types of projects as economic wins for the wider region, why does one neighborhood have to shoulder all of the burdens? Many people think that Chinatown community members are being unreasonable and don’t understand why they would fight against these types of developments.
One key reason for organizing Exhibition 2.0: Our Home - Chinatown, Philadelphia was to express how Chinatown is a neighborhood and home for thousands of people and many people beyond the geographic confines of what we define as Chinatown. When you think of your home, would you want an arena or stadium or highway to be built next to your property? Wouldn’t you do everything in your power to stop it from happening for the protection of your home and neighborhood? It was this thought that led to the formation of Exhibition 2.0; to showcase through the lens of different exhibitors how Chinatown is home to them. Each gallery brought a unique perspective and focus that was intended to connect with the viewer to remind them of pieces of their home. This connection was a way of engaging people with Chinatown, the ongoing debate around the proposed Sixers arena, and how perceptions could be changed.
Chinatown through the eyes of three exhibits.
7521’s contribution and involvement was to bring together a set of diverse perspectives on how Chinatown is home to the exhibitors. It resulted in a photo exhibition in October 2023 representing the work of five exhibitors expressing how Chinatown is home to them through their eyes. Over three months the exhibitors got to know each other, share stories with one another, and encouraged each other as their exhibits came together. Community within community. This was a continuation of Exhibition 1.0 in which the exhibitors spent months ahead of the gallery launch to foster community and strengthen each other’s galleries.
The photos from the each of the exhibitors focused on different aspects of what makes Chinatown home to them. The stories of each exhibitor were powerful and just a small sample of the countless other stories and connections that people have tied to Chinatown as their home. Chinatown was the first home for Emil when he moved to Philadelphia. Caroline found the little details of Chinatown as familiar connections to her culture and heritage. Laura, Veronica, and Katie have only known Chinatown as their home since their childhood and family memories are embedded in Chinatown. Their galleries encapsulated their view of Chinatown as their home. It was the intent that people viewing the galleries would bridge the experiences of the exhibitors with their own to build a greater understanding of how Chinatown is a home just like their home. It’s that bridge of connection and understanding that would build more empathy and support for the Chinatown community as it pushes back against the proposed Sixers arena.
Chinatown one year later.
It was and still is the hope one year later that seeing and learning about the exhibitors and their photos would create an introduction to better understanding why so many in the Chinatown community and beyond are against the proposed arena. No amount of economic benefits or dollars can replace the physical and intangible pieces of a lost Chinatown. The fear is rooted in what has happened to Chinatowns across the country as they were lost or significantly impacted among the promises of economic revitalization and redevelopment - Washington, D.C., Portland, Seattle, Boston, and so on. Even in Philadelphia, we see that the Southeast Asian business community is being displaced as new development swallows up previous locations of SE Asian businesses, restaurants, and markets on Washington Avenue. Some businesses relocated while others permanently closed because it was just too much to start over again.
Communities change and evolve over time. There are times when there are no easy solutions to challenges of gentrification and displacement. However in this case, there is an easy solution. Keep the Sixers where it currently is. Redevelop some of the surface parking lots into a world class entertainment district as the other Philly sports teams are proposing. We can, as a city, have our cake and eat it too.
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Since Exhibition 2.0 debuted one year ago, the Chinatown community and broader coalitions have advocated against the proposed Sixers arena by forming petition drives, marches, and organizing workshops for reimagining what could go on the block of the proposed arena that would benefit the community. In September 2024, the mayor announced her support for the arena and introduced the legislation that will enable the arena to move forward. A community benefits agreement (CBA) was announced that was shaped by the mayor without input from key stakeholders including the Chinatown community. The CBA proposes only a small portion of the funding to Chinatown while larger portions of the agreement would provide free money to council members and mayoral citywide priorities. This is a deviation from what a CBA is meant to be, an agreement with funding attached to an impacted community to help mitigate the impacts of a proposed development negotiated between the developer and the impacted community.
The coming weeks will determine the fate of the Chinatown community - a community that is more than restaurants, it’s a physical and cultural home for the broader Chinese and Asian community. It’s not too late to get involved. Visit https://noarenaphl.org to learn how you can advocate against the proposed Sixers arena and support Chinatown.
