Save Chinatown Solidarity Network D.C. Hosts Town Hall
By • February 18, 2025 0 234
By Zoe Howard-Barr
The Save Chinatown Solidarity Network DC (SCSN) met on February 1 to host the “Little Chinatown, Bigger Ideas” town hall. The program started with a traditional Lion dance to celebrate Chinese New Year.
The group discussed city initiatives such as the Capital One Arena renovation, the Chinatown/Gallery Place Task Force, and the Housing in Downtown Tax Abatement program, which poses serious risks to the Chinatown community. These initiatives prioritize commercial or luxury interests over the preservation of the cultural identity and well-being of local residents. They may increase the rate of gentrification and contribute to the erasure of the history and diversity that makes Chinatown unique.
Save Chinatown Solidarity Network DC (SCSN) is an AAPI-led grassroots collective focused on strengthening anti-displacement efforts in Washington, D.C.’s Chinatown. Fewer than 300 Chinese American families and 15 Asian American-owned small businesses remain in Chinatown. SCSN was formed in response to threats of displacement and gentrification, aiming to advocate for low-income, working-class residents of color and surviving small businesses.
The Capital One Arena renovation—a 200,000-square-foot expansion, comes at a cost of $500 million. The Chinatown/Gallery Place Task Force plans one-off, crowd-drawing events and creating a “festival plaza,” and the Housing in Downtown Tax Abatement program provides an incentive for realtors to turn old office space into luxury apartments.
The SCSN is passionate in its promotion of practical actions to defend Chinatown. The SCSN has a different plan: the city should focus on expanding resident-centered public spaces, investing in social services and safety nets and addressing the root causes of crime. The SCSN believes that Chinatown needs affordable housing and that its residents deserve a say in decisions affecting their community. AAPI-owned small businesses must be preserved and AAPI residents should not be priced out of their neighborhood.
Find out more about the SCSN mission here.
