“When I think about Chinatown, it’s not just an ethnic enclave of Chinese, but it’s actually – to me – a metaphor for the global city. It’s a neighborhood of immigrants, it’s a neighborhood that has deep, deep historical roots, and the beginnings of the American narrative.” —Tomie Arai
A Blade of Grass fellows, Chinatown Art Brigade – Tomie Arai, ManSee Kong, and Betty Yu – are addressing themes of gentrification, displacement, and community resilience in Chinatown, through collaboratively developed projections onto buildings and public landmarks in Chinatown and the Lower East Side. This video from A Blade of Grass’ Fieldworks series by RAVA Films explores how, in a rapidly changing neighborhood, members of the Chinatown community are using art as a tool to fight for social justice in the place they call home.