For my final project, I want to cover the aging population in New York City’s Chinatown. This invisible community is often overlooked. As members of a close-knit ethnic enclave, their resources are limited. Many have families that have moved out of Manhattan and are uncared for. Unable to speak English, many don’t reach out for government assistance. The result is a supportive community that has learned to adapt.
In addition to profiling some members of this community, I also hope to explore their impact on the changing demographics and gentrification of Chinatown, the cultural impact on elderly care, government assistance, and survival in New York City.
My grandmother works as a cook in one of Chinatown’s major senior citizen centers, so I hope to be able to interview some members of the administration as well as regular attendees. Also, I plan on going to major community centers, aid centers, and meeting places (Columbus Park, bakeries, and places of worship) and interviewing seniors there with the help of a translator.