Permanence_Flux

There is a sense of permanence in the imagery of Chinatown's bustling produce market. Perhaps because the sights, the smells, and the tastes are so vivid and evocative that they leave a lasting impression. Or perhaps because it mirrors the Chinatowns in so many other cities, the collective imagery becomes especially enduring and influential. Or perhaps it is because it serves as representation of my and many others’ belonging that it is difficult to let go.

But despite this sense of permanence, it is important to acknowledge that the city is in a constant state of flux, and although it is difficult to imagine the network gone, it must be recognized that change is inevitable, as it has always been.

Chinatown occupies the land nearby and on top of what used to be Collect Pond, a reservoir that served main source of freshwater and sustenance for the Munsee Lenape until the alleged "sale" of Manahatta to the Dutch in the 1624. By 1800, Collect Pond had become a dump overflowing with waste and pollution from the local industries. To cover up the widespread waste and stench of decay, Bayard Mount was levelled to fill the pond in with garbage and earth. Upon this watery, unstable land, is where large numbers of German immigrants settled by early 19th century. This was followed by groups of Italians and Eastern European Jews, as well as Greeks, Hungarians, Poles, Romanians, Russians, Slovaks and Ukrainians. Then finally, a wave of Asian immigrants.

Wellington Chen had described the location of what is now Chinatown as a launching pad for many generations of immigrants. “We love Chinatown, but for many this isn’t the final destination and many are even eager to leave.”