MONTREAL – Chinatowns across North America don’t just share a similar look — they also face similar existential threats and David-versus-Goliath-like battles for survival. Whether it’s residents of New York City’s Chinatown protesting a proposed mega jail in their community, or Montreal’s Chinese diaspora fighting to save heritage buildings or struggling to keep family restaurants alive during COVID-19, these common threads are a recurring motif of Karen Cho’s documentary “Big Fight in Little Chinatown.”
Cho, a fifth-generation Chinese Canadian with roots in the Chinatowns of Montreal and Vancouver, documents how these urban pockets of Chinese culture across North America are facing similar pressures from gentrification. In an interview, Cho said the neighbourhoods are prime targets for redevelopment due to their age and proximity to downtown, but also to what she calls “the intersection of racism and urban planning.” READ FULL ARTICLE