The Evolution of DC's Chinatown

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DC's Chinatown was once a vibrant and close-knit community, where residents knew each other and had access to food through their connections in restaurants. However, the community started to change in the late 60s as Chinese residents began moving to the suburbs after riots following the killing of Martin Luther King, Jr. The construction of a convention center in the 1980s further displaced residents, leading to struggles in the 1990s exacerbated by the crack epidemic and high rates of violence.

Residents of Philadelphia’s Chinatown have mobilized against plans for a new arena in their backyard. To find out how their concerns might bear out, Today, Explained reporter Miles Bryan heads to DC’s Chinatown, where a similar story played out 30 years ago.

This episode was reported and produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.

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