San Francisco Chinatown native praises resilience of her community
As Lunar New Year festivities continue around the Bay Area, a student who grew up in San Francisco's Chinatown gave KPIX her unique perspective on the neighborhood's rich history, struggle and strength.
San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in the nation, with one of the largest Lunar New Year celebrations in the country. For Tracy Law, the world famous enclave was her backyard growing up. Every street, every alleyway reminds her of her childhood.
"This alleyway is very nostalgic, because this is where I learned how to ride a bike with my little four wheels," said Law.
Walking through the streets of Chinatown, it was clear why Tracy had such a deep connection with the neighborhood.
"We're going to go to the park right now," said Law. "It's called Woh Hei Yuen or we started calling it the Y and everyone thinks we're talking about the YMCA. This is the place that I basically grew up. Every Friday after school, I was here for meetings. Saturdays and Sundays, I was here for events. It has a special place in my heart."
Law grew up translating not just for her mom, but for her entire neighborhood - where many could only speak Cantonese.
"Growing up here you might think this is normal," said Law. "Everyone does this! Like, everyone translates for their family at home, right?"
She, her mother and younger brother lived in a small 100-square foot single room at an SRO hotel growing up. It was all she knew.
"It was never anything shameful or weird," said Law. "Until I went to high school, then it really was a difference because my high school was so far, near the Sunset. I was like, 'Oh, kids have their own rooms! You all don't live in a cramped space.'"
Law is now a freshman at UC Berkeley, but she still comes back to volunteer with the Chinatown Community Development Center. One of her mentors is Chao Zhang, a community organizer with the program who also grew up in Chinatown.
Zhang spoke about the heart and power of the community.
"The strength of the community cannot be underestimated," said Zhang. "I think people don't see Asians, Chinese, people in Chinatown as fighters. They think a lot of us are pushovers due to stereotypes and other stuff that I won't get into, but this community has fought back. There's always been strength in numbers, and it speaks volumes of how much we can all come together and push for what we need and respect our community."
Law and other students are tour guides with Chinatown Alleyway Tours, a student-developed and student-led program through the Chinatown Community Development Center.
The CCDC has also started a program to help families who are trying to transition out of SROs into new homes.