Vanessa Montalbano - ��Ӱ��

Demonstrators call for end of U.S. foreign policy in Ethiopia amid civil war

Vanessa Montalbano — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 22:38:45 +0000

A crowd of demonstrators, mostly Ethiopian refugees, donning red, yellow and green filled the courtyard of the United States State Department Friday morning with the sound of traditional Ethiopian tunes and beats.

Demonstrators called for an end to the Biden administration’s current policy in Ethiopia, which they say undermines the country’s democracy by siding with a terrorist organization and has the potential to destabilize the horn of Africa.

The event was hosted by , a group seeking to create awareness within the American public of Ethiopia’s current state of affairs, and brought roughly 1,000 people to the demonstration in support.

“We are here to save our country,” said Bsuvi, 20, who asked not to use her last name. “And keep it from falling apart.”

The group has been in the District every Friday for the past month in front of places like the White House and the Capitol building, usually drawing a crowd of thousands.

Co-organizer Berhanu Taffse said demonstrators are there to say “no more to sanctions, no more abandoning the voice of Ethiopia, silencing the horn of Africa.”

Demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. State Department to protest U.S. foreign policy in Ethiopia, which they said undermined the democratically elected government. After a rally at the State Department, the group planned to march to the U.S. Capitol building. This is one of several protests in the last month. (Rebekah Alvey / ��Ӱ��)

Ethiopia has been entrenched in a civil war since last year as its first elected government, ruled by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, fights off Tigray People’s Liberation Front — which previously ruled the country for 30 years and represents the third largest ethnic population in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian government removed TPLF’s status as a legal party and formally classified the group as a terrorist organization in May, reported.

The civil war is estimated to have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of individuals, prompted more than 61,000 Ethiopians to seek refuge in Sudan, and internally displaced over 2 million, according to a that addresses peace and democracy in Ethiopia. The bill would reduce development funding and security assistance, implement visa sanctions and promote high-level diplomatic engagement in the country.

Taffse said the majority of Ethiopians have been a champion of peace in the region, but a small number of elites “want to maintain control and create fractures.”

“It seems like we’ve been ignored,” he said.

Demonstrators said the bill misrepresents Ethiopia and ignores “horrific war crimes” committed by the TPLF while placing the blame of the war on Ethiopia.

“[TPLF] need to disarm, they need to stop their aggression,” Taffse said. “America needs to step up in saying this because American people value democracy and value peace and this is the first step to do.”

Many of the protesters were refugees from the 30 years TPLF was in control of Ethiopia, co-organizer Berhanu Taffse said. Demonstrators covered themselves in flags and held signs calling for the United States to change its foreign policy in the country. (Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

David Minasse, who has lived in the U.S for 40 years, said it is “completely wrong for a democratic nation like the United States to do such a thing” in supporting TPLF.

He said TPLF goes against the values the U.S. promotes and that supporting the former ruling party does not “benefit the United States or its people.”

If passed, Minasse said the Senate bill would “damage the economy of Ethiopia” and “hurt the population — not the people in power.”

Taffse agreed. “This is not right for the Ethiopian people, this is not right for the horn of Africa, this is not right for the region in general,” he said.

The war has caused a humanitarian crisis that has gained foreign attention, including famine and ethnic-motivated arrests which the Ethiopian federal government has .

Demonstrators said the United States have enabled the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which was the leading political party for 30 years in Ethiopia but has now been labeled a terrorist organization by the democratically elected government. (Rebekah Alvey / ��Ӱ��)

The crowd chanted sayings like “Mr. President hear us,” “USA” and “no more” and held signs stating “African solutions for African problems,” “NOMORE undermining democracy in Ethiopia,” and “Biden stop supporting TPLF terrorists.”

Taffse said the groups slogan, #NOMORE, is meant to condemn the U.S. for “sanctioning rather than supporting and encouraging the democracy Ethiopia is actually emerging into.”

Aster Berhane, 51, said she came to Friday’s demonstration to tell the U.S. government to stop putting sanctions on the Ethiopian government and to stop trying to “impose, or ideas, or whatever they want to do on our country.”

She said peace and an end to the civil war are the ultimate goals.

“I started showing up here… because this is a very critical time in Ethiopia and my presence here — what I can say and do — is significant,” she said.

“We’ve been through a lot.”

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At Wah Luck House, Chinatown community takes care of its own

Vanessa Montalbano — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 17:10:06 +0000

Karaoke. Calligraphy. Traditional dancing.

Older adults at the in Chinatown can join a range of activities starting Jan. 3, when the center officially opens with full operational ability.

The adult day care center soft launched its opening last October — only offering limited and appointment based medical services due to the pandemic — after nearly three years of planning and discussions with the Mayor’s office for approval.

Since then, patients and staff have also hosted intimate birthday gatherings, gone on field trips and attended lectures about COVID-19 safety protocol.

Along with interactive lessons, the adult day care center also provides free breakfast, lunch and a snack to each patient on weekdays. For now, patients can show up at the center at mealtime, get their temperature taken and answer a list of questions, before grabbing their packaged food and returning home to eat.

But, when the center opens at full capacity next month, patients will be able to sit together at tables of eight or more for their meals to chat or play games before going off on group activities.

“It’s like a little kindergarten,” said Rita Lee, director of the center. “We just want to make sure they are busy, happy and healthy.”

Every weekday, lunch is catered to the daycare center from Chinatown Garden, a local restaurant owned by Yeni Wong, also the owner of Wah Luck House. (Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

Staff at the Wah Luck Adult Day Care Center are required to wear personal protective equipment and maintain a safe social distance. (Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

Kwok Wing Yumg, 81, agreed and said the center has been special and convenient for him. “It’s very nice here. They do everything very good.”

He is most excited to enjoy the library for some reading and “maybe do some exercise” like Tai Chi next month.

‘You gotta have a heart’

The Wah Luck Adult Day Care Center is located in the heart of Chinatown on 6th Street and around the corner from the iconic Friendship Archway.

It occupies the first floor — a 7,000 square foot space — of the Wah Luck House, the last remaining low-income apartment complex in the neighborhood. Roughly 98% of the folks living in the building’s 153 units are elderly Chinese-Americans, making up the majority of the remaining Chinese population in Chinatown altogether.

The center’s top priority, Lee said, are the medical treatments it provides. It offers an array of medical assistance to the patients — from blood drawing, urine testing and nurses visits to transportation to and from specialists offices.

With a roughly 20-person staff, including a doctor who comes in twice a week, nurses, a social worker, a mental health specialist, a nutritionist and other medical professionals, Lee said the adult daycare center also prides itself on the personalized support it offers to each patient.

“You gotta have a heart,” Lee said. “All of my staff knows this too. If you are just here to make money and you don’t have a heart for the seniors, I tell them please leave.”

Yumg Yu Meng, 80, has lived in the Wah Luck House for six years. She said she feels the staff at the center are like her family. “They treat us so well. We live here very comfortable and happy everyday,” she said.

On a recent field trip to the Holocaust Museum, Meng said it brought her joy to see one of her friends, a 103-year-old woman who uses a wheelchair, tag along comfortably with the rest of the group.

��Ӱ�� that trip, Lee added “they were so happy — chatting, taking pictures with each other.”

Staff at the center also manages and sorts each patient’s medication weekly, ordering prescriptions and filling in pill organizers by time of day to make it easier for patients to follow a medication routine.

Beginning Jan. 3, older adults at Wah Luck can sing karaoke, play bingo, get a massage and exercise during the day. Yumg Meng said she will be first in line for singing and painting classes.
(Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

The , a community service organization founded in 1883, funds and operates the adult day care center separate from the Wah Luck House, though the apartment’s leadership is as invested in giving back to the community as the CCBA is.

Local businesswoman and real estate developer Yeni Wong and her business partner, Andrew Agetstein, purchased Wah Luck House in 2017, looking to turn a page on from the real estate company Aimco. Tenants have long known Wong as the owner of the nearby restaurant Chinatown Garden.

Wong said when she bought the space it was important to her that she gave back to the community. Plus, Wong said “you have to take care of the elders.”

But first, before the adult day care center could operate, the CCBA needed to prove to the Mayor’s office that there was a need for the center in Chinatown.

So, they went unit by unit in the building and took a survey about age, any medical conditions and income status, among other things. The answer was resoundingly “yes,” Lee said.

What makes Wah Luck so special, she added, is how different it is from other elder care facilities across the District.

“We’re not a nursing home. We’re somewhere in the middle and that’s what makes it so great,” Lee said. “Because a lot of the time nursing homes can be so overcrowded. I can see first hand how we can benefit the seniors but still grant them their independence.”

Starting the adult day care at Wah Luck House and in Chinatown was also a way to overcome the language barrier many of the seniors faced when seeking medical assistance elsewhere.

Fostering community

Since the soft-launch opening last October, Lee said she realized the social aspect the center provides is crucial. Many of the patients have begun to take depression medication as a result of isolation and the pandemic, she said.

“Some of the seniors will say to us, ‘you know I’m happy you’re all here,’” Lee said. “‘Before I feel sorrow, it was like hell, and now it’s not.’”

She said before the center arrived, many of the seniors would spend entire days alone in their apartments. “It can be so lonely.”

Now, Lee said most of the seniors seem to be cheerier. She thinks it’s because they have something to look forward to every day, even if it’s just going downstairs to pick up lunch.

Lee described a “sweet and bighearted” woman who comes to her office early every morning to sneak her candies and chat.

“That’s the Chinese way,” she said. “Giving. It shows your love — gratitude.”

On one occasion, Lee showed up to work late from a doctor’s appointment and missed the visit. That afternoon, Lee said the woman’s daughter called her concerned because her mother — who wasn’t sure of how to use the phone to check on Lee herself — was worried something had happened to her that morning.

“It shows that we really care for eachother,” Lee said. “It goes both ways.”

Recently, she said, another lady made food for the whole staff — though it wasn’t the tastiest.

“Of course we ate it and didn’t tell her. It would have broken her heart, she was so excited and did it out of love.”

The center has been approved to provide for around 100 seniors who have a proven medical condition and use both Medicare and Medicaid. Right now, about 94 of those slots are filled and eight people remain on the waiting list — some of which are from within the building.

Though it is not required to live in the Wah Luck House to be treated at the daycare center, all of the current patients do.

Lee said she and the CCBA are hoping to eventually accept people from outside the building, but high rent prices in the neighborhood have made expansion plans difficult.

She mentioned another affordable housing building on K Street that has a large older adult population.

“They come over here. They’re looking for the opportunity,” Lee said. But, she said, “unfortunately we can’t accept them yet.”

If all goes well, Lee said she also wants to invite school children to come and volunteer at the center so they can chat with the seniors and play games together.

In the meantime, Lee said she is looking forward to Jan. 3, and to more field trips, grocery trips and holiday or monthly birthday parties among the patients. She said at those events, it’s nice to see them “all dressed up and waving to each other, smiling.”

“We try to do the best to talk to them and help them to bring that community value back to life,” she said.

“That’s my goal.”

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In a town of pantsuits and power ties, local brand Hanifa redefines fashion in DC

Vanessa Montalbano — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 16:30:14 +0000

A glossy blue vinyl trench coat.

A high-slit mid-length denim skirt.

And a slinky peach gown with bell sleeves.

These were among the 35 contemporary, ready-to-wear looks DMV-based designer Anifa Mvuemba debuted at the “Hanifa Dream” fashion show Tuesday night.

More than 600 people wrapped in boldly colored garb attended the soiree, held at the National Portrait Gallery.

In her opening monologue, Mvuemba paid homage to Washington, saying that “home is the place where we feel the most comfort and love.”

Her home, she said, is filled with memories of her youth and dreams of her future.

The 10-year-old brand has a dedicated following across the country and even around the world. But, show attendees resoundingly agreed that debuting the collection in the District was important for the city’s fashion scene — proving that the talent in D.C. is just as special as it is in New York.

“I love seeing people rep their home city, so I think it’s great to have people come to you here,” said Devine Blacksher, 28, who traveled from New York to see the show. “I think more people need to go home and do their s—. I stand for it.”

Two dozen models of varying curves sashayed down the runway in patent trousers, leather coats and shirt dresses that captured what some attendees called the “perfect silhouette.”

Backstage, Mvuemba said she thinks it is important to share this moment with the city.

“People just need to give D.C. a chance,” she said. “Give us a shot and we’ll show you guys what we’re made of.”

Mvuemba said she made it a point to hire as many local creatives for the show as possible, though it was difficult. “I like challenges,” she said. “And look — it worked out.”

Roughly 80% of the models who walked in the show are from the area, along with many of the other team members — like the DJ, members of the orchestra, photographers, videographers and makeup or hair artists.

The crowd was also packed with Washingtonians, many of whom were friends and fans of Mvuemba, as well as some editors and retailers from New York. Audience members showed off their own Hanifa originals: jewel-toned silk suits, ribbed-knit dresses and second-skin boots.

Fashion in the District has typically hinged more on practicality and office-appropriateness than on mix-matching colors or taking risks.

“When you talk to somebody, they’ll say ‘Oh, fashion and style doesn’t exist in D.C.’ But, that’s not true,” said Christine Brooks-Cropper, president of the , a non-profit supporting the fashion business community in the area. “It’s been a very private industry that was underground.”

Given the city’s reputation for hosting high end balls and galas, like the White House Correspondents Dinner, where attendees wear high-class couture, Brooks-Cropper said she doesn’t understand why more people don’t recognize the nation’s capital as a fashion city.

“Yeah, it’s a government city. But our style sense is no less than anywhere else,” she said.

Dawn Miller, 46, is a self-declared fashion enthusiast who said she owns just about every Hanifa piece that will fit her body. She said when she thinks about D.C., she doesn’t instantly think fashion. But, Miller said, “Hanifa’s show is giving me a whole different outlook on fashion in D.C.”

In 2008, Brooks-Cropper helped establish the , legislation that advises the mayor, the D.C. Council and the public on the views and needs of the fashion and beauty communities in the District. She said the legislation allowed the local industry to have access to grants, marketing initiatives and other resources they never had before because “at the end of the day, those entities didn’t know that they existed.”

excuse me i’m sorry… did y’all see this??? this virtual runway show is

— LO (@LustforLo)

Before Mvuemba’s first show last night, she broke the internet a year ago with a 3D runway show, gaining the attention of celebrities like Gabrielle Union, Lizzo and Kylie Jenner, who have since worn her designs known for emphasizing and embracing femininity.

On Monday night, the designer was honored as the .

But Mvuemba said it wasn’t always easy. She said she held every job in the industry from sewing, styling and taking photographs to taking out the trash.

“If you perfect your craft — your passion and work will take you where you need to go,” Mvuemba advised other creatives in the DMV area.

Last May, the 31-year-old won $50,000 after being recognized as a Fashion Designers of America/ Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist. That money, Mvuemba said, helped her to fund the show, and helped her secure the National Portrait Gallery as it’s venue.

“The minute I walked in the space I knew I had to have it,” Mvuemba said. “This feels so grand and I feel like we can celebrate our evolution here and bring out a beautiful crowd.”

DC’s designers take fashion by storm

Fashion has long thrived in the District’s neighborhoods — specifically street or urban wear. Despite there being no shortage of talent in Washington, local designers or other creatives said they were still not being recognized.

“Each neighborhood of D.C. has its own fashion center, its own fashion scene, its own culture of its neighborhood,” Brooks-Cropper said. “That translates to the people and that translates to the style and it translates to the dress.”

Guests posed against a Hanifa backdrop following the runway show late Tuesday night in the atrium of the National Portrait Gallery. (Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

Plus, numerous universities in the DMV area — like Howard and Marymount — host degrees associated with fashion design, merchandising and entrepreneurship. So, Brooks-Cropper said, the talent has existed in the city for decades. “Why push all these creative people away to New York or someplace else?”

, 50, is a fashion influencer, stylist and content creator in D.C. She said she thinks D.C. is elevating to become one of the major fashion cities.

“A lot has started in the urban communities where fashion originated and was often duplicated,” Delaney said. “But, being here today with Hanifa shows that Black designers have a platform and are standing tall on it.”

Mvuemba’s high profile fashion show, she said, was long overdue.

Around the time that Brooks-Cropper was writing up the 2008 legislation, she emphasized that fashion can be used for economic development. Today, she said the city’s fashion district in downtown’s , featuring household name designers like Gucci, Tiffany and Carolina Herrera in addition to local luxury or streetwear brands, is a testament to that.

Ean Williams, executive director of , said the fashion community in D.C. is burgeoning. “There are far more fashion businesses in D.C. than five to 10 years ago,” he said. “There are a few significant players, but there is room at the table for all.”

Brooks-Cropper said her main goal is to connect artists to the resources and the opportunities that they need. Now, with the infrastructure in place, she said “the industry will be able to thrive successfully for a very, very long time.”

Doncel Brown is another fashion designer in D.C. carving out space for himself in the industry.

He said living in the District allowed him to “see so many different parts of the world in one place” ultimately influencing his brand, . “I don’t think I would have got that same experience had I not been in D.C.,” he said.

View this post on Instagram

Brown said he hopes the District can build a brand that is unique to D.C., so that people have to come to the city exclusively to experience it.

Delaney agreed. “A lot of the fashion stylists, designers, as well as influencers that create impeccable content and work, deserve their due,” she said.

“It’s our time here in D.C.”

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Newly introduced Recovery Act could bring minority businesses, affordable housing downtown

Vanessa Montalbano — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 17:13:23 +0000

Legislation proposed on Oct.19 by Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto could help tackle the District’s long term affordable housing crisis while reimagining vacant commercial spaces to make the area “more vibrant and inclusive,” she said.

Before the pandemic, the Downtown and Golden Triangle neighborhoods that make up D.C.’s Central Business District were hubs for transit riders, office workers and tourists. Now that almost two years have passed, resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs as well as a steep decline in area foot traffic, the Central Business District is left with millions of square feet of vacant office space.

At its root, Pinto said the Recovery Amendment Act of 2021 would help the Central Business District transform empty or underutilized office buildings into mixed-use developments, affordable housing and green spaces.

The act is highlighted by three main pillars: incentivizing mixed uses, attracting businesses to the Central Business District and encouraging innovative entrepreneurship.

If passed, it would provide for a real property tax abatement to promote “the conversion of office space to workforce housing, hotel, retail, sports, entertainment and cultural uses,” Pinto said . In order to receive those abatements, projects must agree to economic inclusion by empowering women, minority workers and businesses. Additional incentives would be offered for the development of family size residential units.

In the news release, Pinto said the Recovery Act will generate jobs by offering two-year operational grants to businesses that come to or expand in the area.

“It is imperative that we invest in our brick-and-mortar establishments, facilitate conversions of vacant office spaces to affordable housing, hotel, retail and green spaces,” Pinto said.

The mixed use and other developments would also attract residents, workers and businesses to come downtown to “live, work and play,” Pinto said.

Vacancy is at an all time high in the District, according to a third-quarter office from Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis, the largest commercial real estate services company in the world. In the third-quarter alone, the District reported 321,000 square feet of occupancy loss.

“We must take bold action now to ensure the successful recovery of our Central Business District and build resiliency for the future,” Pinto said in a statement

At-large Councilmember Christina Henderson joined Pinto in co-sponsoring the bill, following her own of promoting equitable growth and affordable housing in the District.

“We know that we’re going into a new normal, we’re not trying to go back to what was the norm prior to the pandemic,” said Amanda Farnan, communications director at Henderson’s office.

Farnan said the Recovery Act is a perfect example of an opportunity to reflect on what has been done in the past and change it for the better.

“Maybe we could benefit from adding a little mixed zoning or mixed use development, affordable housing,” Farnan said. The Recovery Act could create “this kind of holistic neighborhood vibe, with Downtown being able to welcome more than just business people or just workers into this area.”

Six of at least nine retail spaces are up for sale along the block of L Street off of Connecticut Avenue downtown. (Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

Some of the prongs of the Recovery Act coincide with a 2019 goal from to deliver an additional 36,000 units of housing, including at least 12,000 units of affordable housing, by 2025.

Nearly half, or 16,605 units, have been delivered as part of Bowser’s initiative thus far, according to . Of those, around 3,070 are deemed affordable housing.

Between Downtown and Golden Triangle, roughly 28.7% of its affordable housing target has been met.“We have an opportunity to create more affordable housing in an area that is so accessible to other parts of the District,” Farnan said. “We should prioritize this.”

In 2019 as part of the housing initiative, made DC the first city in the country to have affordable housing goals by neighborhood

The chart is how we’re doing so far in each planning area towards the 12,000 new affordable housing goal

— John J. Falcicchio (@falcicchio)

Historically, most affordable housing options in the District are in the far Southeast and Southwest quadrants.

“We don’t want to concentrate affordable housing in one area,” Farnan said.

The Recovery Act, she said, would dramatically increase the number of affordable housing units available Downtown, a neighborhood that is currently full of luxury condominiums.

But during an Oct. 20 discussion on housing justice in D.C. hosted by, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George said that any efforts toward equitable and sustainable housing mean nothing unless those actually affected are involved in decision making.

“We need programs to work for residents, to bring more actual affordability to those who are the most cost burden,” Lewis George said.

She said it is important to remember that “when we talk about numbers, we’re talking about human lives.”

Before D.C. Council begins revisions on the Recovery Act, Farnan said residents will be able to weigh in on the changes.

“We look forward to hearing from residents on what they think needs to be prioritized Downtown,” Farnan said. “Is it affordable units? Is it retail? What do the businesses need to see?”

The Recovery Act is set to be discussed in the fiscal year 2023 budget, though a hearing for it has not yet been scheduled in the D.C. Business and Economic Development Committee.

Nonetheless, Lewis George said, the council is hoping to “bring human voices to the decisions that are being made.”

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‘A zest to continue:’ DC’s Chinatown challenges narratives of its decline

Vanessa Montalbano — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 17:08:28 +0000

In Chinatown, the contrasts can be stark.

A digital billboard promoting the iPhone 13 abuts a traditional gabled roof building. A red dragon snaking around a light pole greets patrons outside the American restaurant Clyde’s. A WeWork space neighbors a family-owned Chinese grocery store.

For some, the District’s Chinatown appears to be a relic of what it once was. But neighborhood leaders say Chinatown isn’t dying, it’s just changing.

“This narrative of decline assumes that there was an apex state of perfection, like an Eden, at some point in Chinatown,” said Wei Gan, project director at the , a non-profit organization working to bring awareness to the significance of Chinese exclusion laws in D.C.

As Chinatown becomes more contemporary, with national franchise brands and a vibrant nightlife, people say it is losing its authenticity. But, Gan said, the alternative is Chinatown staying exactly the same — so people can continue to say the neighborhood is nothing more than shabby, basement restaurants.

“It is a lose, lose situation,” she said.

In other words, Gan said, public opinion of an authentic Chinatown is a neighborhood that is never restored. “If you can’t renovate it, you can’t develop it, you can’t change it, you’re forever relegating these people to live in an undeveloped neighborhood,” she said.

Ted Gong, executive director of the 1882 Foundation and president of the D.C. chapter of the a non-profit organization fighting against racial discrimination, agreed with Gan and said he pushes back against the idea that Chinatown restaurants are no longer authentic.

“Authentic to who?” he said.

“I would hesitate to say there is one authority on authenticity, it depends on the eater’s background and preferences,” Gong said.

For instance, he said Americanized chop suey might be as authentic as something from the Fujian province, but not from the Hupei province. He said it depends on what you want and what you expect when dining in the District’s Chinatown.

A community trying to survive

Chinatown spans roughly two square blocks, along H and I Streets between Fifth and Eighth Streets Northwest. Its entrance is marked by the Friendship Archway — an elaborate 47 foot tall archway that spans 75 feet of road. It was built in 1986 to commemorate the then newly-established sister cities relationship between the District of Columbia and Beijing, China.

Dotted along the streets are corner signs and storefront slogans written in both Chinese and English. Numerous hole-in-the-wall eateries offer dim sum, dan dan noodles and various pork dishes. China Boy even wholesales fresh rice noodles to other Chinese restaurants in the DMV area.

Adjacent to the remaining Chinese-owned businesses in Chinatown are an Xfinity, a Capital One bank, a Walgreens and a number of vacant buildings.

Many of the Chinese owned businesses and landlords chose to sell to bigger corporations because they wanted to make more money and knew the franchises could afford higher rent.

Gan said it is easy to label an ethnic community as either resilient or dying, but on the ground people are not as interested in the cultural identity of the area as they are in trying to survive.

This is not the first time the District’s Chinatown has been in a battle of endurance.

A project to build a market in Chinatown was stalled and lost funding at the beginning of the pandemic. (Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

In the 1880s hundreds of Chinese people in the District moved to Federal Triangle because of the Chinese Exclusion Act, prohibiting the immigration of Chinese laborers to the U.S., and racial discrimination. Without access to bank loans, insurance or healthcare, Gan said, “They were forced to congregate and create their own, kind of, parallel economy and support system.”

“It was less of ‘let’s get together and celebrate’ and more of ‘how do we survive,’ ” she said. By the 1930s the government took over the land for development projects, pushing Chinatown to its current location and by 1943 the exclusion act was repealed.

Most of the original residents left Chinatown for the suburbs when a Metro station came to the area in the 1970s and again with the arrival of the Verizon Center in 1997, now the Capital One arena. Rapid gentrification in the area caused rent to skyrocket.

Today, just about 300 people live in the neighborhood compared to the thousands that once did.

Chinatown Garden gets creative

Carl Brown, executive director of the, which provides free one-on-one services to empower new and existing businesses, said small businesses are integral to communities.

“A community without stores is a dying community,” Brown said. “Small businesses provide a service or product that doesn’t already exist in the community.”

For Chinatown’s nearly 20 family-owned eateries, Gan said business owners are less interested in preservation and more in promoting a successful product. She calls this a “zest to continue.”

“What I really see happening with Chinatown businesses, and what we’re really trying to do here is move with the times,” Gan said. The pandemic applied more pressure to mom and pop stores than they were already under and seemed to accelerate plans to revitalize the businesses on social media or with partners like DoorDash, she said.

Chinatown Garden occupies the original merchants association three story building. It is a registered D.C. historical landmark. (Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

Chinatown Garden, at 618 H St., is one of the many small businesses adapting to the times and trying to bring more activity to the area.

On the first floor, customers dine on spring rolls and kung pao chicken amid traditional Chinese decor. Upstairs, however, is the 618 cocktail and whiskey lounge that opened right before the pandemic and turns into a nightclub on Friday and Saturday nights.

The 618 Cocktail and Whiskey lounge above Chinatown Garden transforms into a nightclub over the weekend. Friday is Salsa night and Saturday is techno night. (Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

“It’s weird because suddenly you’re like why is there a techno party in the middle of Chinatown on top of a Chinese restaurant,” Gan said. “When the assumption is that it should be, like, a banquet thing.”

But, she said, the stereotype is that Chinese people don’t party and are “stiff and want to sit at these giant banquet tables,” so a techno nightclub in the middle of the neighborhood bolsters the idea that Chinatown is declining.

“Everyone is just trying to make something of themselves,” Gan said. “So, it is not really my place, neither would it make sense for me to go to the bar manager and be like ‘Well, why don’t you go find a Latino neighborhood for your nightclub.’”

Plus, she said, “that bar business is sustaining the restaurant business, there is a symbiotic relationship there. So what’s the big deal if there’s a techno club in Chinatown?”

“H Street is apparently party central,” Gan said. There is a competing techno club across the street from 618. (Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

Surviving in the District’s Chinatown has been a chronic problem for family businesses for a long time. The Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs has been dedicated to plans to bring the neighborhood back to life, including small business grants and other programs for long term customers and owners to become familiar with online service tools.

“We have been here,” Gong said. “We will always be here.”

The post ‘A zest to continue:’ DC’s Chinatown challenges narratives of its decline first appeared on ��Ӱ��.

Downtown’s Franklin Park reopens as a ‘no-tent’ zone, following city-wide encampment clearings

Vanessa Montalbano — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 17:27:45 +0000

New signs at the revamped Franklin Park declare camping is prohibited — a warning to the unhoused people who used to spend their nights there. The park, located along 13th and 14th Streets between I and K Streets NW, reopened Sept. 24 after a $21 million renovation which began in July of 2020.

“That last day was very emotional,” said Reginald Black, executive director of the , an advocacy organization working toward ending housing instability in the District. His organization provided support inside the park during the weeks before the closure, making sure each resident had access to the resources they needed before removal. In the latter part of July last year, he said, only a few residents remained in the park.

“There were people who wanted to kind of resist and fight the closure. But at that point it was a done deal,” he said.

Black experienced homelessness himself on and off from 2008 to mid-2019. He said it was “heart-wrenching” to sit with people while they had their last meal in the park they called home, especially because the park once was a hub for distribution services and housing insecurity outreach.

“Faith based organizations and friends and different organizations would come together,” he said. “Every week, they would come together in the park to make sure everyone had clothes, to make sure that they had hygiene products, masks, food.” Now, Black said, it’s going to be hard to provide those services downtown.

Franklin Park first opened in the 1850s, but its last renovation was in 1935.

The new renovation is the result of a partnership between the National Park Service, the city and the DowntownDC Business Improvement District, a private non-profit working to enhance the vitality of the neighborhood.

New features of the space include a storm water management system that will catch runoff, public restrooms, ADA-compliant sidewalks, a children’s garden area and an outdoor restaurant. The park, and its facilities, closes nightly at 9 p.m.

“We knew that if the D.C. Government could renovate Franklin Park, we would be able to turn this park into something special for residents, visitors and workers. And that is what we’ve done,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser in a . “This is the type of park you would expect to find downtown in our nation’s capital.”

The DowntownDC BID will operate, program and manage the park, but NPS owns the property, giving the U.S. Park Police jurisdiction of the area.

A new Franklin Park features more green space and an updated tree canopy. The BID says community members expect that the park will be maintained at a high standard, to be a central gathering space for all. (Franklin Park 2020 Design courtesy of the DowntownDC BID)

NPS has a long-standing “no camping” rule for many of its urban parks, but during the pandemic it allowed camping in some of them. Now, as the pandemic relaxes,

Jeff Reinbold, the superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, told reporters during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the park on opening day that NPS would work closely with the BID in handling unhoused people, but said the U.S. Park Police could remove anyone trying to camp in the park. “We do have the legal authority to do that, but that is not our desire,” he said.

BID ambassadors and security guards will be stationed at the park overnight, said Neil Albert, president and CEO of the DowntownDC BID. The eight overnight ambassadors are trained in dealing with unhoused people and will provide any resources necessary to those who seek to enter the park at night.

“Sleeping in a park is unsafe for people experiencing homelessness and for the community,” Albert said. “We also believe that our parks should be available for use by everyone.”

BID maintenance ambassadors will sweep, clean and wash all areas of the park. (Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

BID Hospitality ambassadors are tasked with greeting and engaging guests while tending to any questions or concerns. (Vanessa Montalbano / ��Ӱ��)

NPS told ��Ӱ�� in an emailed statement that while it has not been notified of anyone attempting to sleep in the park since it reopened last week, it is committed to connecting people living in encampments with resources and housing.

But, Black said, people experiencing homelessness were not given a voice in the decision making process regarding the park a year ago and they still don’t have a clear stake.

Restrictive rules involving who can provide services to people experiencing homelessness downtown, where those services can be provided and where people living outdoors choose to find shelter on their own is “basically a total criminalization of all the different things that unhoused people participate in when they’re just trying to survive,” Black said.

On any given night there are 5,111 unhoused people in the District, according to the , an independent non-profit corporation serving as a focal point for efforts to reduce and prevent homelessness in the city.

Yariella Phillips, 47, lives in Northeast D.C. and comes downtown often. She said the city invested a lot of money into the park, so it is probably “enforcing this rule because they want to keep this a safe, clean, beautiful space.”

But, Phillips said she thinks the District has to give unhoused people “another viable option.”

The city recently launched a to clear four encampments across the city by offering housing to residents who apply. Those particular tent encampments would be removed, but rather than sending those living there to shelters, people would go directly from their tents to an apartment. Some encampment residents say, however, that they are still waiting to move in or haven’t received any information at all, despite two clearings going underway on L and M Streets NE Monday.

The D.C. Department of Human Services estimates there are at least 119 encampments across the District, with about 327 tents.

Black said these clearings will force the displacement of residents who do not know much about the program, do not necessarily trust it or would prefer to remain in the tented communities they live in.

“The fallout of Franklin Park’s closure led to an encampment increase in certain areas,” Black said. “It was directly tied to that displacement that happened over a year ago in that park.”

Now that encampments in other public spaces across the city are being cleared, residents who choose not to join the pilot program will not have Franklin Park as an option.

The DowntownDC BID said it offers walk-in services on weekdays from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. at its . It also hosts a Weekend Homeless Services Program along Vermont Avenue on Saturday’s and Sunday’s from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Gregory Chudy oversees McKenna’s Wagon, Martha’s Table’s longest running program. It is a volunteer-led mobile food service providing roughly 225 meals a night just a few blocks away from Franklin Park, on 15th and I Streets NW. He said clearing out these communities isn’t really getting at the root of the problem, “which is the high cost of housing.”

“I mean, I can barely afford rent myself,” Chudy said. “Maybe it’s not aesthetically pleasing or unsightly, or it might bother people, but unless you’re gonna get to the root cause of the problem, just moving the tent community isn’t gonna solve anything.”

He said the recent uptick in cracking down on unhoused communities in the District is an indication that they will not be received well in redeveloped areas.

“This is a city-wide problem,” Black said in agreement. “We need a city-wide solution.”

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Vanessa Montalbano - ��������Ӱ��