Love Letters to Chinatown Zine

Love Letters to Chinatown “We resist by waging love.”

– huiying b. dandelion

The Love Letters to Chinatown 給唐人街 情書 project collected love letters, poems, illustrations, paintings, etc. inspired and dedicated to Chinatown to help uplift our neighborhood in its darkest times.

We resist by waging love. The Love letters to Chinatown 給唐人街情書 project seeks to collect love letters, poems, illustrations, paintings, etc. inspired and dedicated to Chinatown to help uplift our neighborhood in its darkest times.

The project invites members in the community and across the diaspora to submit art: poetry, stories, letters, illustrations in response to Huiying's prompt: Write a love letter to a person, business, or organization you hold dear in Chinatown. Consider Chinatown as a living being. What would you say to Chinatown during this time? What do you want her to know? What stories do you want to share?

Volunteers translated the letters, and another group of volunteers posted them around the neighborhood according to our no-contact policy. By posting the letters across Chinatown, we hope to bring love and care to our community, reminding us that we are resilient. These messages of love and support stand in contrast to empty community spaces and notices of business closures.

All submitted love letters will also be archived in an interactive map website.

我们以爱作为反抗的动力。“给唐人街的情书” 项目正在收集情书，诗歌，插 画，绘画等，帮助鼓舞唐人街社区度过黑暗时期。 该项目邀请社区的成员和海外华人提交艺术作品：诗歌，故事，信，插画，按照 Huiying的提示：为你感到亲近的唐人街的个人，商铺或组织写一封情书。把唐 人街当做一个生命：在这段时间里你想对唐人街说什么？你想让她知道什么？你 想分享什么故事？ 一些志愿者翻译信件，另一组志愿者遵守我们零接触的政策，将它们张贴在唐人 街各个地区。我们希望借此带来对社区的爱和关心，提醒自己，我们是坚韧不拔 的。这些由爱和支持组成的讯息，与旁边空荡的社区场所和商铺关门的告示形成 了鲜明的对比。所有提交的信件同时会录入互动网站的档案。

~ ii ~

we are living in a time of Uprisings. we are living in time in which there is a renewed national attention to this country’s longstanding violence against Black lives. we are living in a time in which the pandemic has unveiled the racism and systemic inequities that have long plagued this country. this is the time in which Chinatown lives.

Love Letters to Chinatown was born during this time. in April, we had a W.O.W. Project meeting.

April was a time when the racist, intentional labeling of the coronavirus had real emotional, physical, and spiritual impact on the lives of Asian Americans. Chinatown business owners and workers saw the economic impact of racism long before cities officially shut down. Mei Lum asked our team ‘what can we do in response?’ tenants were in the midst of organizing a rent strike in May. mutual aid in the neighborhood was rising. people were feeling a sense of dismay that the circumstances in which we lived were greater than ourselves. I asked the team, ‘what about love letters to Chinatown?’wWe all looked at each other on our Zoom screens. there was a resounding ‘Yes.’ the community took up the rest. after the announcement, Love Letters went national. the art began flowing in. the letters in this zine are ones from New York City, or unceded Lenape territory. these letters have been posted in English and Chinese outside restaurants, bakeries, and community organizations by Mei and her family, dawning face masks, gloves, and masking tape. in a time of the pandemic of COVID-19, in a time of Uprooting, and demands for justice, for a new world imagined anew, we wage love as resistance. we look to the love of the Asian American artists organizing fundraisers for Chinatown businesses. we look to the love of the uncles socially distant, still, gathering with their friends on a Wednesday afternoon in the track field. the families calling grandmothers to ask if they’ve eaten yet. the Chinatown butchers going back to work and greeting familiar customers. we look to the love of Black queer and trans organizers in Minneapolis leading the way for a city to abolish the police and have true community safety. we look to the love of Black youth opening the way for police free schools and an education system that is truly liberatory. we look to the love of Black trans women who led the Brooklyn Liberation March where over 15,000 people gathered in community to demand justice for Black Trans lives. in these pages are expressions of love— memories, stories, missings, confessions, a steadfast cheering on of a community that holds home in a country in which being Asian American can be fraught, messy, complicated, and joyous. with the resilience and fighting spirit of our ancestors, we choose love. we remember the existence of Chinatown in itself as rebellion. we remember the quiet and loud rebellion in ourselves. we choose to uplift a world in which we are all free.

– huiying b. dandelion

~ iii ~

我们正处于一个新兴起的时代。对黑人持续的暴力侵犯在这个时代重新成为国家 关注的焦点。长期困扰这个国家的种族歧视与不平等制度的现象随着疫情的发生 而暴露出来。中国城正处于这个时代。 给唐人街的情书在此时诞生了。四月我们召开了W.O.W项目会议。因种族歧视和 恶意标签，亚裔美国人在整个四月都遭受了情感、身体和精神的冲击。 唐人街 的商家和工人们 早在城市封锁之前就已经感受到种族主义对经济的影响。Mei Lum 问起我们团 队： ‘我们能做点什么呢？’ 。五月租客正忙着组织抗租，互助会正在社区 内普及。人们对身处困境而感到沮丧。我问团队：“给唐人街写一封情书怎么 样？” 我们互相看着Zoom屏幕中的对方，大声说：“好。” 下面的工作由社区担起。消息一出，“情书” 面向全国，大量艺术形式创作开始 涌入。册子中用的子母和字来源于纽约市，又称未割让的Lenape领土。这些子母 和字出自于餐厅，面包铺...... Mei的社区组织和她的家人也捐了口罩，手套，并配 齐胶带。 新冠疫情的时代也是一个彻底颠覆，要求平等的的时代。我们对世界充满了期 待，以爱作为反抗的的动力。我们期待亚裔艺术家们由爱发起为中国城商家的募 捐；我们期待看到有爱的大叔们，保持着安全距离，在星期三的下午和朋友一起 出现在操场上；我们期待家人打给奶奶问她吃了吗的电话；我们期待见到重新回 到工作岗位唐人街肉铺工问候老顾客。 我们期待酷儿黑人的爱，致敬为明尼阿波利斯跨性别组织者们为废除警察制和实 现真正的社区安全开道。我们感受到黑人青年们为了学校零警察，并拥有一个真 正解放的教育系统而开辟新路的鼓舞。我们为黑人跨性别姐妹用爱领导社区一万 五千人的布鲁克林解放游行，为跨性别黑人同命声讨正义而感到振奋。 这本册子页页都是爱的表现- 回忆，故事，思念，告白，坚定不移的为在这个我 们称之为家的社区欢呼。尽管在这个国家, 亚裔的生活可能充满挫折，混乱，复 杂，欢乐，我们继承祖先的顽强奋斗精神，选择去爱。我们知道唐人街本身的存 在就是一种反抗。我们会记住心中宁静又高亢的反抗。我们选择支持推进一个人 人自由的世界。 – huiying b. dandelion

~ iv ~

“唐人街是我家” 袁鳯蘭 唐人街是我家 人情味重頂呱呱 街坊鄰舍同出力 創造奇蹟人人誇 滄桑歷史需記掛 勿忘先輩立基功 好讓後人飛越跨 唐人街是我家 少時習舞全靠它 詩詞文學僑校讀 華策會上彈结他 叔伯细佬同阿媽 週末坐低嘆花茶 共享榮華点碟蝦 問我邊道係老家 從細養到我以家 甘苦幸福共同過 唐人街就是家

Chinatown is My Home

by Margaret Yuen Chinatown is my home Its people worked hard to create this awesome town I know Remember our history, ancestors who laid the foundation, for our young to spread their wings Chinatown is my home Where I received the gift of dance reciting Tang’s poems in Chinese school and strumming guitar at CPC. Uncles, mommy and little brothers Weekends are for sitting down with plates of har gow and jasmine tea Where is my old home town?

The village whom raised me till old?

Living together through good and bad My home is my Chinatown.

~1~

Love letter by Tomie Arai

~2~

Love letter by Michelle Ling

~3~

Dearest Chinatown 唐人街, I met you later in my life. I was so nervous to meet you because I didn’t know if you would like me, would accept me.

I didn’t know your language, your style, your colors, your scent, your customs, your shape, your curves.

I was afraid of yet another rejection, another place where I didn’t belong because I wasn’t Asian enough and my heart could not handle that. I could not handle that.

But you, you opened yourself to me and I, I dissolved into your arms.

Like the butter in the 菠萝油, I melted with the love and warmth of your sweet embrace.

You challenged me to create space and to come as I am.

I accepted.

Now, I challenge you to stay resilient. For us, for our history, and for our future.

Forgive me for being away for so long yet again.

And like last time, I promise I will be back.

But unlike last time, I will be unapologetically me, intentional and unwavering.

Get some rest, and please stay safe.

Till we meet again, Fanny 李泳霖

~4~

亲爱的唐人街： 我有点晚遇见你。当时，因为我不知道你会 不会喜欢我或者会不会接受我，所以我感 到非常紧张。 我对你一无所知。不知道你的母语、你的风格、你的气味、你 的风俗、你的形状。 我害怕再次被拒绝，害怕由于我不够亚洲而再次被另外地方拒 绝。如果这样，会令我心碎。 但是你，你向我敞开了心扉，我回到你的怀抱，与你浑然一 体。 像在菠萝油里的黄油，我融化了你甜蜜拥抱的爱和温暖，温情 脉脉。 你挑战我去创造空间，以我真正的自己出现。我听到而接受 了。 现在，为了我们、我们的历史、我们的未来，我想挑战你百折 不挠的韧力。 请原谅我又离开了这么久。 和上次一样，我会回来。 但与上次不同的是，我会做我自己，有意而自信。 多多保重，请注意安全。 下次见，祝好! 李泳霖

~5~

Love letter by Clara Nguyen

~6~

Write a love letter to a person, business, or organization you hold dear in Chinatown. Consider Chinatown as a living being.

What would you say to Chinatown during this time?

为你感到亲近的唐人街的个人，商铺或组织写一封情书。把唐 人街当做一个生命：在这段时间里你想对唐人街说什么？

~7~

Love letter by Laura E

~8~

Love letter by Vanessa Nguyen

~9~

Grand Street Park Aaron Tian

On a bench in Grand Street Park Wah Fung roast pork & duck in my lap Sweet and savory aroma floating over the elders Gambling on the bench next to me Kid sisters and baby brothers racing around the track Fighting, yelling and laughing in the same breath Stumbling over each other like newborn puppies Grandmas in khakis and visors Dancing to a CD boombox from 2002 Moving in (almost) perfect harmony Two benches down from where I met my partner (Or at least the first time we ever really spoke) Drinking taro slushes from Kung Fu Tea Still my favorite to this day Hard concrete courts Where I’ve seen 80 year-old men Set hard screens on muscle-bound college boys Handball courts, furious with swinging arms and hands Something I’ll never understand but always admire Something so familiar and so special to Chinatown That feels a world away from me now The first place I fell in love On a bench in Grand Street Park

~ 10 ~

格蘭街共 Aaron Tian

在格蘭街公園的長椅上 華豐燒豬燒鴨在我膝頭 咸甜的香氣在我旁邊長椅上 坐著打牌的老人之間漂浮 孩童姐妹兄弟們在跑道上比賽 在同一個呼吸中打鬧、吵嚷、大笑 像初生的小狗一樣互相絆倒 穿著卡其褲戴著遮陽帽的奶奶們 對著一個2002年的CD音箱跳舞 動作（幾乎）完美地和諧 在我遇到我對象的那個長椅 （至少是我們第一次講話的那次） 兩個長椅開外，喝著功夫茶的香芋冰沙 至今仍是我的最愛 在水泥球場 我曾看到幾個八十歲的男人 強力擋拆幾個筋肉分明的男大學生 手球場，猖狂地揮動臂膀和雙手， 我或永遠不會理解，但一直都將敬佩 如此熟悉如此特別的唐人街 現在似乎遠在一個世界以外 我第一次墜入愛河的地方 在格蘭街公園的長椅上

~ 11 ~

~ 12 ~

~ 13 ~

What do you want Chinatown to know?

你想让她知道什么？

~ 14 ~

~ 15 ~

2020-04-10 14-09 － by RM 我們將重生 只為了再次死去 這些街道還有脈搏 即使河流改變方向 就像陰晴圓缺 圓滿才會更加璀璨 對於失去的回憶 只是更多的層次 被車輪 印進土壤 未來的根 會在那兒找到我們 麥捷兒 4.10.2020

~ 16 ~

~ 17 ~

給唐人街的情書

By Monica Sun

火龍果 龍眼果 荔枝和銀杏果 在路邊的籃子裡剝好 杏鮑菇 木耳 金針菇 香菇在水裡泡軟 安玻在廚房水池邊上平衡著一塊菜板、剁碎洋蔥。她告訴我老太太們仍 每早在公園裡跳舞，但是人越來越少。 速溶咖啡粉 夏天裡的冰凍養樂多 紅棗和山楂 枸杞 一個男人「 」十四次。 一個女人頭頂上被倒了「 」，在她倒垃圾的時候。 紅棗 山楂 枸杞 安玻做雜菜。安玻做大醬湯。喬伊在漫長的一天之後買炒粉。我帶金去 喝粥，她在搬進市裡之後第一次有了胃口。街另一頭的餅屋關門了。 海蜇絲

蕎麥麵 豆芽 藕 我的心飽了又餓。我的心滿了又空。 ~ 18 ~

~ 19 ~

Love letter by Maya Man

~ 20 ~

LOVE LETTER TO CHINATOWN ja bulsombut long, sleepy train rides on the 5 from eastchester to city hall with kristin, down the basement steps to the warm, yellow light of the studio, the arrival of each fellow: hellos & the unwrapping of feyda buns settling into work, bent heads over pellon and felt, the slow evolution of a pink lionhead. it’s dark out sometimes when we emerge, sometimes rainy and wet, streetlights in the water. dinner now, sometimes soup dumplings & fish ball noodles at noodle village or dumplings at 88 lan zhou. i dream about the eggplant at buddha bodai. my heart feels full, with love and longing, which I unspool with lemongrass & chili kaffir lime leaf & roselle, summoning the rhythm and cadence of home for over the counter chats with p’tum & p’uan thinking maybe this is a different rhythm after all, a different kind of home I have made.

~ 21 ~

給唐人街的情書 布松芭 清晨五點漫長愛睏的地鐵之行 我與克莉絲丁從東徹斯特到市政府 走下地下室的臺階 到了溫暖黃光的工作室 每個同伴的到來是 問候聲 打開著飛達西餅的餐包 準備就緒 一頭栽進貼襯與毛氈布裡 粉紅舞獅頭在慢慢進展中 有時我們出現時天色已暗 有時是潮濕下雨 街燈埋沒在水光中 有時是晚餐時刻 在粥麵軒享用著小籠包與魚丸麵 或是在福州日旺小食吃著餃子 我夢著佛菩提的茄子料理 心裡滿滿

~ 22 ~

思慕與愛 檸檬草與辣椒 青檸葉與洛神花 打開了我的胃口 啟動了節奏 聽著櫃檯那傳來阿姊阿哥的聊天 跟著韻律回到了家鄉 我想 這也許是不同的節奏吧 畢竟這裡是 我的另一個家

Love letter by Paulina Ho

~ 23 ~

Love letter by Parker Limon

~ 24 ~

What stories do you want to share?

你想分享什么故事？

~ 25 ~

A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers for helping us translate and post the letters: Translators Sheri Shih-Hui Chang Leren Gao Victoria Liang Jennifer Chen Xinan Helen Ran Brandor Matos Posters Phoebe Pan Emily Mock Nisma Saadaoui Bonnie Tse

~ 26 ~

About the W.O.W. Project The W.O.W Project’s mission is to sustain ownership over Chinatown’s future by growing, protecting and preserving Chinatown’s creative culture through arts, culture and activism.

If you’d like to learn more about the W.O.W. Project, visit our website.

Find out where love letters have been posted across Lenape Land (NYC) here.

Zine designed by Clara Lu