My first few days in Chinatown were frustrating, to say the least. A large proportion of the people I attempted to shoot on the street did not speak English and were extremely reluctant to talk to me or let me photograph them. As I became more familiar with the neighbourhood, I realized that it was split into two very different areas. The Eastern portion, adjacent to the financial district, is teeming with restaurants and shops, whereas the predominantly residential area by New England Medical Center is home to a surprisingly high number of community organizations. On Monday night, I found out about a ping pong club which met at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. Unlike the people I approached on the street, several members of the CCBA welcomed me and eagerly discussed their views on Chinatown, urban planning, education, music and other topecs.
I had a somewhat similar experience at the Chinatown Progressive Association, where I had scheduled an interview with Lisette Le. Lisette was initially slightly skeptical, warning me that she did not want to talk to me if I was planning to give a inaccurate, premediated impression of the neighbourhood. I told her that I had done quite a bit of background research and intended exactly the opposite - I wanted to expose misconceptions, hear the perspectives of residents and describe what the community. She seemed satisfied, if not slightly impressed, by my efforts to accurately portray Chinatown and agreed that it often seems to be a very introverted community for outsiders, but asserted that it happens because many residents are vulnerable, not because they are exclusive. Interestingly, Lisette's explanation was a pretty accurate representation of my own experiences - upon approaching people on the street, they were often guarded, but once I met a few people and showed them that I did not intend to take advantage of them, they were happy to open up to me.
- Alykhan Mohamed
No comments:
Post a Comment