Asian population in Manhattan's Chinatown plummeted amid affordability crisis

"The number of Asian residents in Manhattan's Chinatown dropped by over 20% in the past decade despite an increase in the neighborhood's overall population, according to a recent report published by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Experts on the history of Chinatown and community advocates said the demographic shift is a predictable result of gentrification, as boba shops and hot pot restaurants catering to a broader clientele replaced more affordable eateries that sustained working-class Asian American immigrants in the neighborhood."

"The report also argues that luxury developments in the area have helped drive a comparatively sharp increase in rents, making Chinatown less accessible for a new generation of lower- and middle-income Asian Americans and new immigrants. The decrease in Asian residents represents a symptom of the affordability crisis, said John Kuo Wei Tchen, a historian at Rutgers University who was not involved in the report but has studied the history of the Asian immigrants in the city."

Asian residents in Manhattan's Chinatown fell by more than 20% over the past decade while the neighborhood's overall population increased. Gentrification shifted the commercial mix toward boba shops and hot pot restaurants that attract broader clientele and replaced more affordable eateries that supported working-class Asian American immigrants. Luxury developments contributed to comparatively sharper rent increases, making the area less accessible for lower- and middle-income Asian Americans and new immigrants. The community district saw about 5% fewer residents receiving federal food benefits since 2018, indicating a departure of lower-income residents. Rents rose about 5% while incomes rose only 2% over the decade.

Read at Gothamist