Description:
Native Washingtonian Jeanette Chow talks about her family's involvement in DC's Chinatown and the changes she's seen in the area. Her father came to the District as a teenager to join her grandfather in the laundry business. She remembers spending Sundays in Chinatown with her family in the 1960s and 70s, where they would get dim sum, go to the Chinese Community Church, and shop at Chinese grocery stores. Jeanette remembers how the construction of the Convention Center and the subway in the 70s and 80s changed the area and led to the growth of non-Chinese businesses. She discusses her involvement with the Eastern Wind Newsletter, the first Chinese American newsletter in DC, and reflects on a piece she wrote about the changes in the DC Chinatown community in the late 70s. She talks about the importance of affordable housing for immigrants in order to maintain Chinese heritage and culture in Chinatown. She ends by saying how the older, family organizations have to accomodate the needs of the younger generation. She also thinks it's important for families to educate children in Chinese language and culture.
