International Examiner Contact Us Archives Previously Link List RSS Feed |
Hyun-Jung Jang, a Korean journalism student visiting Seattle to learn English, interviews Paul Wu, VP Historic Chinatown Gate Foundation, at the Seattle Chinatown-International District Summer Festival 2007. |
|||
I think this project is very positive. It is much better than complaining about the naming of the ID Seattle Parks Dept facility and the misguided waste of resources and money to protest the closure of So. Lane St.
Two things come to mind with the name of the Gate. One, there is nothing historic about the gate. It is actually a distraction to the "Historic" view corridor looking west along So. King St to Puget Sound. It also adds to the cartoonish and theme park decorations that continue to erode this unique historic district.
Two, I am struck by the name that leaves out International District. There have been strong vicious protests by various Chinese groups against any name leaving out Chinatown or if Chinatown isn't mentioned first.
Historically this area has been very multi-ethnic with a variety of cultures. From African American, Japanese American, Filipino American and European cultures.
Maybe the name could be revised to a more accurate one dropping 'Historic' and adding International District. This might prevent any notions the Chinatown Gate organization members are ethnocentric hypocrites.
Post a Comment