It is a common theme in the lives of urban immigrants. The sad reality is that most immigrants and their families know what it’s like to be uprooted from their homes over and over again. What are the political consequences of perpetual uprootedness? Gentrification is violent—not only displacing families from their homes but stripping them of their basic livelihoods. As Chinatown continues to change and families are displaced, it is important that we pay attention to how existing residents are responding to the disruption of their collective space and fighting to stay.
—Diane Wong, “How Gentrification is Hitting Chinatowns’ Most Vulnerable,” Asia Society, 2017
