Happy 2021 + Thank You!
A close-up of the sweatshirt design
Taking a break from my COVID Anthologies series to say THANK YOU to everyone who has supported my blog and my initiatives to date. So far, we’ve raised $472.83 for Welcome to Chinatown from profits on the sweatshirts I designed with my friend Crystal. Although this may not seem like a lot (I didn’t realize how expensive it was to do on-demand printing and shipping until I started this project!), every dollar counts, and I am SO grateful for each and every one of you who decided to purchase one of our sweatshirts. 100% of the profit dollars are going directly to struggling restaurants and small business in Manhattan’s Chinatown via grants from the Longevity Fund. Past grant recipients include longtime Chinatown mainstays, such as Hop Kee, to newer establishments, such as Tonii’s, that are at the forefront of shaping Chinatown for a new generation.
Donation confirmation :)
I’m personally invested in the Longevity Fund’s mission of ensuring that Chinatown — its community and legacy — will be here for future generations from all walks to life to enjoy. As a Chinese American, it’s often difficult for me to stay in touch with my culture. I live almost 3,000 miles away from my parents, my only relatives in the States, and work in an industry that is predominately white (and male). Hanging out in Chinatown is one of the few things that helps me stay connected to my roots. That’s why, whenever I hear that another Chinatown restaurant that has shuttered its doors, it greatly saddens me. My interview with Mr. Cao of Hop Shing was especially heartbreaking, as I had heard so much about Hop Shing before the pandemic but never got around to trying it before it closed permanently. With every restaurant closure, what is lost is not only the restaurant itself, but also the possibility of new connections and new memories. As Jenny G. Zhang of Eater put it so beautifully:
“Each closing takes with it more than just the food and the space itself. Tied up in restaurants are memories, relationships, and livelihoods. Entire communities revolve around them, depending on their multifold functions as welcoming retreats, gathering sites, and places of work and camaraderie. Multiply closings by the hundreds, by the thousands, and the losses — both material and less concrete — start to pile up.”
88 Lan Zhou - Found out it was closed when I tried to visit in October 2020 :(
Hop Shing - Closed as well (PC: Tsz-Cheong C. from Yelp)
As we head deeper into 2021, things will likely get harder for restaurants and small businesses before they get easier. Indoor dining remains closed in NYC, and LA County has continued to suspend outdoor dining. Many businesses are running out of federal funding, and rising COVID cases along with today’s unstable political environment could pose a double whammy. If you have the means, please consider supporting your local restaurants and businesses, whether it be through donating, shopping local, getting takeout, or buying gift certificates. Support doesn’t need to be monetary either! Simply spreading the word about your favorite restaurant or local business could help them reach new customers.
As for me, I will continue to interview and share stories about how local restaurants have been faring in the wake of COVID. I hope that these stories will inspire you as they have inspired me. I also have a ton of content from back when I lived on the West Coast that I need to publish, so fingers crossed that work doesn’t get too crazy and that I’ll be able to write more this year!
Until then, love,
Alice
