Community Level Solutions for Oakland Chinatown

Listen to the full podcast here

Producers: Amelyn Phang, Lucile Zhu, Milla Skowron, Nora Yang

Description: Enclaves are communities that have a well-developed economic structure that operates mainly through racial or ethnic dynamics. Asian ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Japantown, and Koreatown have grown quickly and continue to thrive due to immigrants from Asia who come to these enclaves and infuse them with new life. However, all around the country, ethnic enclaves are in danger of being gentrified out of existence. There are few studies exploring the solutions to keep these communities thriving in the post Covid-19 era. Our podcast takes Oakland Chinatown as an example of a declining ethnic enclave. We discuss the specific problems it faces along with the unique community organizations that have sprung up to combat these forces.