Feature photo: The China Trade Gate, Boston Chinatown's gateway entrance. (Grace Yang/NEHSJC)
Launched by the non-profit organization Chinatown Community Land Trust, or CCLT, the Immigrant History Trail strives to preserve Chinatown’s history. With plaques and QR codes, the trail is a multimedia art project and educational resource. Its physical and digital elements document working-class immigrants’ stories, many of whom have historically struggled to find affordable housing. Yet, according to Lydia Lowe, the community continues to face challenges, despite increased awareness.
Lydia Lowe
“The cost of housing is a really big issue, leading to displacement for a lot of people,” said Lowe.
Lowe is executive director of CCLT, which focuses on community control of land. Having grown up without Chinese communities, Lowe struggled with her identity, leading her to volunteer in San Francisco Chinatown. Her participation made her feel committed “to improving Chinatown as a place for our community.”
Headshot of Lydia Lowe, executive director of Chinatown Community Land Trust. (Grace Yang/NEHSJC)
Part of Chinatown’s disregarded history is its Chinese working-class immigrant population. Their class status puts them at “the bottom rung of the social ladder,” Lowe said.
Being an immigrant also exacerbates some individuals’ inability to find affordable housing, as Lowe said there is a lack of security associated with immigrant status.
The Immigrant History Trail aims to combat societal ignorance of those challenges.
“Most of Chinatown's history has been overlooked,” Lowe said, which motivated the creation of the multimedia art project. For example, in the 1990s, New England Medical Center proposed to build a parking garage on Chinatown’s Parcel C. Residents protested and voted against the proposal in a referendum. Their efforts resulted in Parcel C becoming reserved for affordable housing and community usage.
“Unless you tell that story and keep sharing that story, people will forget,” Lowe said.
As time goes on, CCLT plans to continue expanding the Immigrant History Trail. By adding new markers each year, the non-profit hopes “to do justice to the history of different places” and promote Chinatown’s history.