"PCCP Zoom Event: Philadelphia's Chinatown Development"

Happy New Year and welcome to the first PCCP Meeting of 2023! We will feature John Chin, the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC), a non-profit organization, whose mission is to preserve, protect, and promote Chinatown as a viable, ethnic, residential and business community. As has happened quite often over the years, Philadelphia Chinatown has been in the news lately and John can share his thoughts on that given his lifetime of experience in the community. To put things in a broader perspective and help us to better understand the context of our Chinatown, John will address: - The purpose of Chinatowns - The role, the evolution (sanctuary from racism to hub for culture), and its by immigration patterns and settlements - The preservation of place or people -The future plans for Philadelphia Chinatown John is passionate about equitable development for people regardless of income, race, ethnicity, self-identity, and ability. His core value of "self-determination" for neighborhoods results from experiencing the decades of environmental injustice imposed upon Chinatown. PCDC has supported equitable development through four core programs: neighborhood planning and advocacy; support services to achieve housing and economic security and benefits access; economic development and small business assistance; and neighborhood beautification and mixed-income housing development. The Crane Community Center, which opened its doors in fall 2019, is a landmark success under his leadership. It is the recreation and cultural hub of Chinatown.