No Jailscraper in Chinatown

As a company offering tours in Chinatown, here's why we support the boycott of the Museum of Chinese in America.

On one hand, MoCa is a great way for outsiders to get much needed perspective on the struggles and contributions of Chinese Americans.

On the other hand, it’s a clear sign of New York’s corruption and the lack of care that elites have for the people whose daily effort make the city great.

As part of the based effort to close Rikers Island, NYC is moving towards borough-based jails. This means staying in the borough in which you get arrested.

In Manhattan, this has manifested as the ongoing demolition of the famous Tombs, two aging municipal prison towers located between Baxter and Centre Street, a block south of Canal.

The plan is to replace the buildings with a 300 foot tall Jailscraper - which could become the tallest jail in the world - will loom over Columbus Park and Chinatown like the authoritarian symbol that it is.

On its way to literally blocking out the sun, this as-yet un-designed mega jail will create noise and air pollution, increase traffic, and hurt small businesses on Baxter and Centre, as well as for blocks around. Hundreds of retirees live right next door to the project, and have already endured months of Jack-hammering and dust.

So where does MoCa come in?

In return for dropping this project on the people of Chinatown without any consultation or community involvement, the city gave 35 million dollars for the development of a Museum of Chinese in America.

But who did they give the money to? Was it the hard-working and long suffering citizens of Chinatown?

Nope. They gave the money to developer Jonathan Chu, who lives in TriBeCa.

The same Jonathan Chu whose family evicted the Jing Fong banquet hall from their long-running space on Elizabeth Street, destroying 100 jobs and a long-standing community hub, all for the sake of private gain.

So Chinatown gets a giant jail, and all the headaches and costs associated with constructing and hosting one, but NONE of the economic benefit. Construction contracts and jobs go to outside firms, long-term jobs will be spread across the region, and even the pay-off (the $35 million dollar museum) largely goes to people outside the community. Local restaurants might see a boost in lunch sales, but that's small recompense for so much loss.

The other week, we were wandering in Chinatown with a small group, and we went to MoCA to use the bathrooms. But out front, we met protesting representatives of Youth Against Displacement, who kindly admonished us not to visit the museum for any reason. So we won't.

Chinatown deserves more say in the direction of their own community.

We support the boycott of the Museum of Chinese in America, and the right of all New Yorkers to be involved in the decision-making and evolution of their neighborhoods.

More at The Coalition to Protect Chinatown and LES, and Youth Against Displacement.