Gentrification and the Prison Industrial Complex in Chinatowns

Chinatowns across the United States serve as the locus for profound cultural and historical significance, representing ethnic and community hubs since Chinese immigrants first entered the country. However, with the combined forces of gentrification and prison industrial complexes (PIC), there has been an existential threat to these vibrant neighborhoods. As a result, many neighborhoods have experienced displaced residents and erasure of cultural landmarks, yielding in increased cycles of poverty and criminalization in the community. Gentrification, as defined by the Urban Displacement Project, is the process of neighborhood change driven by real estate investment and an influx of higher-income residents, often displacing low-income communities. In Chinatowns, this process manifests in rising housing costs, predatory real estate practices, and luxury developments that drive out long-standing residents and small businesses.

Key Examples of Gentrification in Chinatowns

Washington, D.C.

The construction of the Capital One Arena in the late 1990s dramatically transformed the landscape of D.C.’s Chinatown. Prior to the arena’s development, the neighborhood was home to a robust Chinese population and numerous family-owned businesses. The area’s redevelopment brought a surge of national chain stores and upscale dining establishments that catered to the influx of tourists and affluent residents. Today, only a fraction of the Chinese American population remains, and the cultural fabric of Chinatown has been largely replaced by generic commercial establishments with minimal connections to the community. For instance, storefronts now display Chinese characters purely for aesthetic purposes, serving as a superficial symbol to the area’s heritage while ignoring its displacement.

San Francisco

San Francisco’s Chinatown, the oldest in North America, has long been a cultural and historical anchor for the city. In the 1960s and 70s, redevelopment efforts in nearby neighborhoods, such as the Fillmore district, exacerbated pressures on Chinatown. The push for urban renewal led to the destruction of affordable housing and the displacement of low-income residents. Additionally, Chinatown has faced ongoing challenges from high-tech industry expansion in recent decades, which has further strained affordable housing. Despite community organizing efforts, including protests and policy advocacy, developers continue to eye Chinatown as prime real estate for luxury developments.

New York City

New York City’s Chinatown, one of the largest in the U.S., faces significant displacement pressures due to luxury developments in the Lower East Side and Two Bridges neighborhoods. The controversial Two Bridges development project, for instance, involves the construction of high-rise luxury towers that threaten to overshadow Chinatown’s historical and cultural landmarks. Legal battles between community organizations and developers have drawn attention to the tensions between preserving cultural heritage and urban development. Additionally, rising rents and the proliferation of short-term rental platforms like Airbnb have exacerbated displacement, forcing long-time residents and family-owned businesses to close.

Ultimately, these strong examples of gentrification in Chinatowns across the US reflect that these developments often lead to cultural erasure, with traditional businesses and community centers replaced by commercial portrayals of Chinese culture. Census data further shows the decreasing ethnic population in Chinatowns.

Prison Industrial Complexes (PIC)

The PIC, as defined by Tufts University’s Prison Divestment Project, relies on surveillance, policing, and imprisonment to address societal problems, often profiting from the criminalization of marginalized communities. In Chinatowns, this system intersects with gentrification in several ways.

The proposed high-rise jail development in Manhattan’s Chinatown is emblematic of how the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) intersects with gentrification. This jail project, part of the city’s plan to replace Rikers Island, has been met with strong opposition from Chinatown residents who view it as a form of systemic violence against their community. By placing such facilities in areas already vulnerable to gentrification, the state reinforces harmful stereotypes about crime and poverty in ethnic enclaves, framing marginalized populations as problems to be contained rather than supported. As gentrification brings wealthier residents and upscale businesses into Chinatowns, law enforcement often targets low-income residents for minor offenses. For example, street vendors—many of whom are elderly immigrants relying on informal economies for survival—face constant harassment, fines, and confiscation of goods. Many immigrants are not given the tools to learn about these street laws as well, such as properly translated material, and without being aware of them, they are not able to check whether they are violating anything. This over-policing serves the interests of affluent newcomers by sanitizing public spaces, further marginalizing long-time residents who rely on these streets for community and livelihood. Many cultures from which they originate see street food and vendors as an integral part of the culture of their home countries and are simply trying to build lives here.

Cultural Erasure

Pictures of the Chinese Friendship Arch in D.C.’s Chinatown

Increased policing to safeguard affluent residents and developments has led to heightened harassment of Chinatown’s low-income residents. Axios highlights how disproportionate enforcement of zoning and permit violations against street venders, who are vital to Chinatown’s identity, mirror broader over-policing trends (Tam, p. 15). Instead of addressing socioeconomic factors that drive crime, disproportionate enforcement funnels residents into the criminal justice system, continuing the cycle of poverty and criminalization. As Open Democracy critiques, these practices “ignore the underlying economic needs of communities” while prioritizing short term solutions over truly restorative ones (Alexander, p.22). Support for housing, education, and economic opportunities remains essential to break this cycle and preserve Chinatowns’ cultural and social integrity.

The commercialization of Chinatown into a tourist destination has transformed its cultural heritage into a surface level “marketable” portrayal. Focus on marketable elements such as themed restaurants, signage, and festivals often prioritizes the interests of developers and visitors over the preservation of the lived experiences of the local Chinese community. In Washington, D.C., the population of Chinese residents in Chinatown has declined drastically from over 3,000 in the mid-20th century to less than 300 today (The Rise and Fall of DC’s Chinatown). This decline has been driven by rising rents, luxury developments, and the construction of large commercial projects such as the Capital One Arena. This has made is difficult for low-income Chinese families to remain in the area, fragmenting long-standing Asian American communities and limiting opportunities for cultural preservation.

The loss of cultural landmarks in Chinatowns, including traditional businesses, temples, and community centers, has had a negative impact on the cultural identity of these historic neighborhoods. Long-standing establishments such as family-owned restaurants and herbal medicine shops are being replaced by chain stores due to rising rents and gentrification. Additionally, temples and community centers that once served as social hubs for the Chinese American population are increasingly at risk of closure, further fragmenting these communities.

Manhattan’s Chinatown

Manhattan has one of the oldest Chinese communities in the U.S, starting in the 1870s. This Chinatown was originally formed in response to anti-Chinese sentiment and discriminatory legislation on the West Coast, “particularly in the wake of anti-Chinese riots in San Francisco in 1877” (Sietsema). Many Chinese immigrants came to New York seeking refuge from these conditions and opportunities in less hostile environments. The area grew as Chinese immigrants established businesses and provided mutual support networks for new arrivals. Between 1965 and 2000, Chinatown grew tenfold and continues to grow today. Manhattan’s Chinatown represents both a rich historical legacy and a contemporary struggle against displacement, making it a focal point in discussions about immigrant rights, cultural preservation, and urban policy.

Criminalization of Poverty

A visual of the future construction of a high-rise jail in Manhattan’s Chinatown

The construction of a high-rise jail in Manhattan’s Chinatown, set to be the tallest detention facility in the world, underscores the persistent association between poverty, minority communities, and criminality. Critics argue that this project will exacerbate the displacement already happening due to the rapid gentrification in the neighborhood, which would further marginalize low-income residents. The New York Times described the jail as a “flashpoint for community anger,” with many residents protesting its placement in a place rich with history that is already deteriorating due to luxury developments and rising rent (Goldstein and Otterman, p. 3). This jail perpetuates systemic inequities, reinforcing narratives that criminalize poverty rather than addressing its structural causes.

The construction of this high-rise jail in Manhattan’s Chinatown, slated to replace Rikers Island, has sparked widespread protests from community members who view the facility as a symbol of systemic inequity. Critics argue that placing a jail in the heart of an immigrant neighborhood furthers the association between poverty and ethnic minority communities with criminality. This is highlighted by The Guardian, which reports that the project has been met with fierce opposition from residents and activists alike. The proposed facility, the world’s tallest jail, is seen as the prioritization of short-term measures over investments in community resources like affordable housing or job training (The Guardian). By situating the jail in this specific location, policymakers risk reinforcing stigmas rather than addressing the root socioeconomic factors that contribute to crime.

This development coincides with increased policing in neighborhoods experiencing gentrification, including Chinatown, said to "protect" new developments and affluent residents. Such policing disproportionately affects low-income and minority residents, making them more vulnerable to harassment or arrest for minor infractions. As OpenDemocracy points out, this pattern of enforcement ignores broader structural issues, such as economic instability and lack of access to social services, instead criminalizing behaviors that arise from systemic inequities. This over-policing often targets street vendors and public space users, essential components of Chinatown's vibrant culture and economy, further disrupting the social fabric of the community (Alexander).

These trends contribute to a broader narrative that criminalizes poverty, exacerbating cycles of marginalization and displacement. Axios reports that the policing of minor infractions not only alienates long-standing residents but also fosters distrust between the community and law enforcement. This dynamic prioritizes the interests of developers and wealthier newcomers while sidelining the needs of the original community. For Chinatown, this means a future shaped less by its rich cultural heritage and more by the pressures of gentrification and systemic inequity. Without meaningful intervention, the neighborhood risks becoming a stark representation of urban development’s toll on immigrant communities.

Connections Between Gentrification and PIC

As it has been evident throughout this article, gentrification and the prison industrial complex have consequences that go hand in hand with each other. Gentrification displaces low-income communities, with these often being communities of color as well. Gentrification of Chinatowns not only affects Chinese and APISAA communities, but other marginalized groups as well. When it comes to the PIC, Black and Latine communities are the ones being targeted often times, and these folx make up a majority of incarcerated populations. Increased policing is a tactic used to keep up the prison industrial complex and profit from incarcerating folx who are being intentionally targeted and surveilled. Building jails leads to increased rates of incarceration, as policing systems will find ways to fill these new jails with more incarcerated folx. Black and Latine populations in low-income communities are also often the targets of increased police surveillance, leading to increased rates of arrests and incarceration at a disproportionate rate.

Lasting Effects

Specific to Chinatowns and similar cultural spots, there is a subsequent decrease in diversity, culture, and community that results from them being gentrified. Chinatowns have been historically important as a place for community, survival, resistance, and existence. Gentrifying such vital spots in America results in fragmented communities who are left unsupported by the government and local institutional resources around them. The systematic punishments against folx in gentrified neighborhoods perpetuate a cycle of oppression and powerlessness amongst marginalized groups.

Additionally, communities of color are often pitted against each other, especially in complex situations like gentrifying Chinatowns and building mega-jails. Reasons for building more prisons include making safer it safer for incarcerated folx, as places like Rikers Island are extremely unsafe and family members and friends want to see their loved ones out of a place such as Rikers Island and in new, “safer,” “healthier” prisons. Given that there is a disproportionately high number of Black and Latine folx who are incarcerated, these groups are put at odds with APISAA communities who do not want jails built near their homes. Thus, tensions between marginalized groups rise, and it is made this way so that these communities do not want to come together and fight against capitalist entities.

Thus, the importance of coalition-building in fighting against systems of incarceration and gentrification cannot be overstated. An example of a coalition is Black Philly 4 Chinatown, a group started to continue the solidarity between the Black and Asian communities, specifically for the Philadelphia Chinatown, where a new arena for the 76ers was in the planning process of being built. Since January of 2025, the 76ers have stuck a new deal to build their arena elsewhere, in Center City specifically instead of Chinatown. However, folx in the community are still concerned and wary about future plans where community input may not be considered to the same degree, and that the stress that came along for organizers and coalition members did not have to exist if planners had listened to community voices and input to being with (NBC News). Nonetheless, coalitional efforts were still instrumental in this decision. Black Philly 4 Chinatown’s focus before this new deal was on fighting against this new arena because not only were APISAA community members affected, but so were Black community members in Philadelphia, and across the nation from gentrification. The money and resources being put into this arena could instead have been going back to the community in ways like improving school funds, affordable housing, and rebuilding hospital infrastructure. At the end of the day, billionaires pushing for jails and arenas and gentrification are not doing so for the interest of marginalized folx, even if they claim that they are. All marginalized communities are harmed by gentrification and the prison industrial complex in one way or another.

How Communities Have Been Fighting Back

Despite detrimental effects resulting from gentrification and the prison industrial complex, communities have remained steadfast in their solidarity with each other. Depending on institutions that have been built to tear down communities, such as Chinatowns, has never been sustainable, but community-building and mutual aid can come in forms such as:

Affordable housing protections

The Chinatown Tenants Union, founded in 2005, “builds power of residents to protect affordable housing” through organizing tenants to fight against unjust evictions, activating tenants to be part of the Chinatown Tenants Union, and engaging Chinatown in the Equitable Rezoning Campaign for a more sustainable future.

Community land trusts

The Chinatown Community Land Trust of Boston works to “stabilized the future of Chinatown as a neighborhood for working class families and a regional hub for the Greater Boston Chinese community”. In 2023, they were able to “acquire a third-row house property to keep tenants in place and preserve four permanently affordable homes”.

Culturally sensitive policy interventions

Also in Boston, a project for a Chinatown Cultural Plan has been in the works. The plan’s goal is to identify the “culture, history and heritage of Boston Chinatown with a policy agenda that links to the 2020 Master Plan’s goals for housing, mobility, health, environmental justice and open space”, along with updating strategies that can be implemented to “preserve and expand cultural and artistic vitality in Chinatown”.

Community coalitions

Again, coalitions and groups, such as Black Philly 4 Chinatown, play a vital role in building community and gathering support for Chinatown and against gentrification. We help each other, and in times where it seems like we are supposed to be divided and on opposing sides of a fight, it never benefits us to buy into these narratives that are being created by politicians and billionaires hungry for capitalism.

Between how communities have been fighting back and resources such as those linked below, it is important to highlight and recognize the efforts of marginalized folx. We have the power to change what life is like for those around us when we come together and join efforts and resources. When institutions do not serve us, we have to stand together as community members and fight back. Chinatowns have been vibrant spots for gathering, culture, community, love, and care for centuries, and we must do all we can to help preserve them.

Resources to Support Chinatowns Across the Country:

Research: