Chinatown Class Anonymous

The pungent smell of durian, balanced by the sweet, tantalizing scent of xiao long bao samples, greet me when I step into the brightly-lit supermarket. My mother’s voice rings out behind me– “Remember, no candy!”– as I traverse the colorful aisles, grabbing my favorite snacks: salted seaweed, shrimp crackers, and mochi ice-cream. Just another Saturday afternoon, another trip to Chinatown.

For as long as I remember, my family has set aside one afternoon each month to visit New York’s lively Chinatown district, a tradition that has shaped my identity. To younger me, Chinatown represented a safe haven free from judgement and prejudice, where I was surrounded by not only Chinese people, but Chinese-Americans, just like me. Every time we visited, I drew strength from these cooks, storeowners, and hair-dressers who’d forged successful lives in this country, while remaining unapologetically true to their roots.

In AP US History, my favorite junior-year class, we briefly discussed ethnic enclaves like Chinatown and their emergence during the late-1800’s. I was fascinated by how these neighborhoods thrived over the years, remaining cultural hubs today. Visiting Chinatown now, it blows my mind the inherent history in each church,...