Chinatown NY

HOST INTRO: On September 11th 2001, lives changed dramatically, especially those communities near the World Trade Center. New York City's Chinatown, known for its restaurants and little gift stores, has certainly felt the effects. The Beat's Heather Oplinger reports.

HEATHER: At a park in central Chinatown, a group of children sing and play with each other on a hot humid day. A seven-year-old girl named Tiffany sings: "Let's hear for America," a song she learned in school. [sneak music and up in the clear: "Let's hear for America"]

The parents of these children live and work within the Chinatown area for dry cleaners and restaurants. Located ten blocks from Ground Zero, New York's Chinatown has had poor business. This summer, usually its busiest time for tourist shoppers, many stores are empty.

Christopher Kui is the executive director of Asian Americans For Equality, a non-profit group that launched the Rebuild Chinatown Initiative. He says the economic damage to Chinatown's businesses is significant.

CHRISTOPHER KUI: "Local economy has been dislocated. And I think that, especially in the garment industry, there's been thousands of workers lost jobs. I think the restaurant industries, those are the two pillars industries that are the bulk of the employment for Chinatown residents and also a lot of new immigrants. Many of the restaurants in Chinatown has lost patronage of over 50%." :20
[ambi]
Paul Lee is an antique storeowner. Over lunch, Lee says the only way to overcome this economic struggle is through greater government involvement.

PAUL LEE: "We are suffering, we need to have access, the customer need to have access to us. Everyday when I open my door, at the end of the day I know I didn't do any business, I know I donšt have any business. I don't need any more studies. I need action from the government." :17

Chinatown business owners are eligible to apply for financial assistance through the city. If approved, they can get up to $10,000 to help their businesses recover. Some have taken advantage of that. But restaurant owner Mei Cheng has not.
MEI CHENG: "They're offering a lot of assistance out there depending where you live, where you work. My business suffered, but a lot of other business suffered also so I'm not just one isolated incident. Take the good with the bad, I didn't really go out to get the assistance because I didn't think it affected me that much." :19

Asian Americans for Equality has distributed about 2,000 surveys in Chinatown. These surveys seek input from civic leaders, residents and business owners about how Chinatown can be helped. Kui says he hopes that completing the blueprint for rebuilding Chinatown today will ultimately improve the community in the near future.

For the Beat, I'm Heather Oplinger.