FOREWORD

I didn’t experience San Francisco Chinatown until I was an adult, contrary to most recollections commonly shared by those who spent their childhood nearby. I was born and raised in Florida, where the Asian American community was sparse and not big enough to warrant its own ethnic micro-neighborhood. This has significantly shaped my understanding of it and its importance. And while the outsiders’ understanding of the purpose of Chinatown has changed throughout the years (and certainly in the past decade), its meaningfulness to the Asian American community has not. It’s a haven, a town square, a reminder of what our ancestors must have felt growing up in a society where Chinatowns were a place to surround themselves with shared values and culture, when others shunned them. And even for those that aren’t of Asian descent, Chinatown can still be a welcoming place, somewhere to be part of a community where the old teach the young and the young help the old. Although there is an unspoken warmth of familiarity we may feel while being in this particular neighborhood, the experience is still undoubtedly American. Walking through Chinatown doesn’t necessarily invoke a longing to be back in Asia for Asian Americans, but almost certainly a pride about how the strength of a community can persevere in any environment.

“The Golden Generation” signifies a movement that has been happening for many years within the APA community. APA youth are combining their cultural values with their American experiences and breaking through the barriers of what was often deemed a typical or traditional path forward. We are excited to share a few of these stories and bring light to what’s to come.

I’d like to thank our partners at Nike, MAEKAN, Intertrend, Adam Studios, and all of the interview subjects for taking part in this important moment to share stories from our community.

Thank you for taking the time to read these stories and learning more about what’s going on within the APA community. Believe me when I say that this is, by definition, a groundswell.

“As American as Chinatown.”

Richard Liu Co-owner, The Darkside Initiative

The Darkside Initiative