Chinatown serves as a welcome center for newly arriving Asian immigrants. The 2000 Philadelphia Census reported 67, 654 Asians reside in Philadelphia, which means they represent 4.46 percent of the city population.
Asian Associations estimate 3,000 Asians reside in Chinatown alone.
In Center City East, 2,962 Asians make up the neighborhood, which is 12.81 percent of the neighborhood population.
History
In the U.S., Chinese immigrants have faced entrenched and institutionalized discrimination and racism for over 130 years and were forced to live in cultural enclaves called “Chinatowns.”
Chinatown in Philadelphia, Pa. was incepted in 1846 and has always been home to Asian immigrants. The first laundry was opened at 913 Race Street and is now home to over 100 businesses and houses approximately 4,000 Chinese and Asian individuals.
In the 1920s, the Chinese population in Chinatown was at approximately 1,600 people. Between 1960 and 1970, Chinatown lost 26 percent of their housing units and there was a severe decrease in population with only 400 inhabitants.
The diversity of Chinatown includes ethnicities such as Filipino, Japanese, Asian Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Thai and others.
The neighborhood today now has more than 50 restaurants and 15 grocery stores, as well as coffee shops and beauty salons. More than 3,000 people reside in Chinatown and that number continues to grow, according to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
1784- Philadelphia became a port trader with Canton, China.
1846- Mei Hsian Lou opened the first restaurant on 913 Race St.
1860- Lee Fong opened first Chinese Laundromat at 9th and Race Streets.
1868- Burlingame Treaty- An immigration treaty that witheld the right of naturalization from Chinese people.
1882- Chinese Exclusion Act
1924- Immigration Act excluded Chinese women from becoming U.S. citizens
1941- Holy Redeemer Chinese Catholic and School Built
1943- Quota Restrictions on Immigration limited Chinese Immigrants to 105 persons/year.
1945- Vine Street Expressway first appears in Philadelphia, Pa.’s plans.
1957- Vine Street Expressway is proposed as part of the Interstate Highway System.
1959- Western end of Vine Street Expressway is constructed to 16th Street.
1962-1965- U.S. Immigration laws are changed, permitting entry of more Chinese
1964- Chinatown was first threatened when the Urban Renewal Project Independence Mall IV displaced residents and businesses, which is east of Ninth Street.
1966- Committee for the Preservation and Advancement of the Chinatown Community is formed.
1968- Right-of-way acquisition/demolition begins for the remaiinder of the Vine Street project.
1969- Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation is incorporated.
1973- There are protests in Chinatown aimed at preventing the State from demolishing the Holy Redeemer Chinese Catholic Church and School for the Vine Street project Lynne Abraham was in charge of the Redevelopment Authority.
1973- The Federal Highway Administration requires the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for Vine Street Expresway.
1975- Chadbourne Report- planning report on Philadelphia Chinatown by Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
1977- Draft EIS is completed, calling for relocation of Holy Redeemer Church and School.
1980- Vine Street Task Force created.
1981- Revised EIS is completed, recommending adoption of reduced-scale Vine Street Expressway and significant community impact mitigation.
1983- Final EIS completed. FHWA supports the mitigation plan and reduced-scale project.
1991- Vine Street construction and associated mitigation measures are completed.
1993- Public hearing for Federal Prison plans at 9th and Arch Streets.
2000- Mayor Street introduces a plan to build the Stadium in Chinatown.
2009- Prior Strawbridge’s location proposed to be future location of slots parlor in The Gallery.
