Little Fuzhou

Coordinates: 40°42′52″N 73°59′16″W / 40.71444°N 73.98778°W / 40.71444; -73.98778
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Little Fuzhou
BUC
Dĕng-peh-lō-hóe Ku

Little Fuzhou is a neighborhood in the

borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. Little Fuzhou constitutes a portion of the greater Manhattan Chinatown, home to the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere.[1][2] Manhattan's Chinatown is also one of the oldest Chinese ethnic enclaves.[3]

Manhattan Chinatown is one of

.

Manhattan's Little Fuzhou is centered on

Chinatown in the neighborhood of Sunset Park became New York City's new primary destination for the Fuzhou immigrants, surpassing the original enclave in Manhattan.[6]

History

Early history

East Broadway was once a main street of a large

immigrants from Hong Kong[10] and Vietnam[11] found homes on East Broadway and the areas surrounding it. Slowly, the Puerto Ricans, the Jews, and the African-Americans moved from the area.[12]

Manhattan enclave

Little Fuzhou on East Broadway as seen from Manhattan Bridge
Chatham Square and Lin Zexu Statue

During the 1980s, an influx of illegal immigrants from

Flushing and Elmhurst, Queens, while Manhattan's Chinatown was traditionally dominated by Cantonese speakers.[13] The earliest illegal Fuzhou immigrants came as early as the 1970s starting mostly with men, who brought their families over later.[14][15][16][17][18] When an influx of Fuzhou immigrants arrived during the 1980s and 1990s, many were undocumented and unable to speak Cantonese; as such, many of them were denied jobs and resorted to criminal activities to survive a living.[19] Many of the city's Fuzhouese immigrants illegally subdivide apartments into small spaces to rent to other immigrants.[20]

In the late 20th century, Manhattan's Chinatown was not welcoming toward non-Cantonese Chinese speakers, and immigrants from Fuzhou were largely forced to take low-wage, low-skilled jobs.

Fujianese immigrants during the 1980s and early 1990s, but Fujianese residents had spread out to Eldridge Street by the early 21st century. The Cantonese and Fuzhouese parts of Chinatown remained generally separate.[27] With the development of Little Fuzhou, East Broadway gained prominence as a Chinese business district.[25][28][29][30][31]

The Bowery is the divider between the older Cantonese Chinatown and the newer Fuzhou Chinatown. More than half of the area's residents are undocumented immigrants.[32] With a large Fuzhou population, East Broadway is often referred to as Little Fuzhou by Fuzhou immigrants.[33] A considerable number of Fujianese clan associations can be found in and around the street.[33][34][35] A statue of Lin Zexu, who was also Fuzhouese, was erected in Chatham Square in 1997.[36] During the 1980s, housing prices were dropping in Manhattan's Chinatown, but property values increased when Fuzhouese arrived in large numbers during the 1990s.[37][38]

Despite the large Fuzhou population, the Cantonese still have a large presence on the Lower East Side. This influenced many Fuzhouese in Manhattan's Chinatown to learn the Cantonese language.[39]

Gentrification and decline

In the 2000s, the growth of newly arriving Fuzhouese immigrants to Manhattan's Chinatown began to slow down, with more Fuzhouese moving to Brooklyn.[40] Some Chinese landlords were also accused of bias against the Fuzhou immigrants due to crime concerns.[41][42] Subdivision of apartments is also a frequent concern.[43] During the 2010s, additional Fuzhouese immigrants moved out due to gentrification;[44][45][46] in a July 2018 report from Voices of NY, Fuzhou owned businesses have been declining on East Broadway due to high rents, and are being replaced by non-Asians. In addition, Fuzhouese consumers started traveling to Flushing's Chinatown in Queens, and Sunset Park's Chinatown in Brooklyn—the largest Fuzhou enclave in New York City—for commerce.[47][48] Since the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City in 2020, storefront vacancies have accelerated.[49][45]

Little Fuzhou, Brooklyn

The increasing Fuzhou influx to New York City has shifted to the Brooklyn Chinatown (布鲁克林華埠) located in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood. This newer Chinatown within New York City's borough of Brooklyn was now the most affordable large Chinese enclave of New York City. In addition, the area supposedly had less housing discrimination than Manhattan's Chinatown. Brooklyn's Chinatown has surpassed Manhattan's Chinatown as the city's primary Fuzhou culture center. Property values have risen substantially as a result.

Reputation as Chinatown's Wall Street

East Broadway has been called the "

Onto East Broadway are Cathay Bank (formerly the Golden City Bank),[56] East West Bank (formerly the Hang Seng Bank),[57] a second Chinatown branch of First American International Bank and formerly named as Glory China Tower in the former spot of the Pagoda theater, the HSBC bank.[58][59][60] A Cantonese newspaper company named Wah May Press was also located on 9 East Broadway.[61]

Chinese gangs in the past

Cantonese gangs

East Broadway was once known to be one of the territories of

gangsters
of Manhattan's Chinatown. The Golden Star Bar, which was once located on 9 East Broadway, was a place where Chinese gangs of a previous era often congregated.

A man named Herbert Liu, a former Hong Kong police officer had immigrated to Manhattan's Chinatown in the late 1960s. After arriving, later on Herbert Liu had encountered a gang member of Chinatown named Benny Ong, who was the boss of the

Division Street
from Chatham Square to Market Street as his territories with a promise of riches from Hong Kong.

Liu recruited restaurateurs, merchants, and gambling house operators and enlisted former gang members that were forced out of the gangs of the old Chinatown on

Manchu
. Liu had rented out a basement located on 52 East Broadway where it was a combination of headquarters and gaming hall.

The Ghost Shadows Gang, which had dominance over Mott Street had expressed concern about this new gang that had emerged and eventually leading to gang violence in the Golden Star Bar on East Broadway in 1982 resulting in three members of the Freemasons gang murdered. The Freemasons gang then fell apart and their attempted dominance over East Broadway never continued to grow.[24]

There was one incident 1977 where Nei Wong, the leader of the Ghost Shadows was hanging with a Hong Kong cop's girlfriend close to underneath the Manhattan Bridge on East Broadway in the Chinese Quarter Nightclub and that Hong Kong cop that had arrived over witnessed them and then pulled out his police gun and brutally murdered them. With Nei Wong gone, Nicky Louie took over his spot in the Ghost Shadows gang.[10][62][63][64]

In May 1985, there was a gang-related shooting outside of 30 East Broadway, which at the time was a Sichuan cuisine restaurant. The shooting eventually spilled over into the restaurant injuring a non-Asian 37 year old customer named Brian Monahan who was at the time an AT&T executive and had been dining with friends. A 4-year-old little boy named Lee Young Kwai was strolling down the street with his uncle was caught in the crossfire injuring his skull, but eventually recovered after the bullet was surgically removed from his skull at Bellevue Hospital; the uncle was not injured. A total of seven victims were injured in the crossfires of the shooting. Two males, who were 15 and 16 years old and were members of a Chinese street gang, were arrested and convicted. It was widely believed that Eastern Peace Gang and the Burmese Gang were the culprits as many local residents reported that they were fighting over for the surrounding territory. [65][66] [67] [68] [69]

Fuzhounese gangs

By the late 1980s to early 1990s, the most known recent gangs on East Broadway are now from

Fuzhou, Fujian of China after this street had started to become a gathering center for Fuzhou immigrants starting in the late 1980s, though since the 2000s, that status has been dramatically and increasingly shifting to Brooklyn's Chinatown, which is now the largest Fuzhou enclave of NYC. The Fuzhou gangs that are known are the Fuk Ching, the Snakehead (gang)
, which are well known to smuggle illegal immigrants from Fuzhou to the United States and other countries and the Tung On Gang.

The Tung On gang was established between the 1980s–90s on East Broadway where they ran a gambling parlor. Parallel to the Cantonese Tong Gangs that had dominated the long-established Cantonese community in the western section of Chinatown, the Fuzhou gangs were the same for the Fuzhou community that was emerging in the 1990s, which made Manhattan's Chinatown expand past its original traditional borderlines further east onto the Lower East Side. A man named Alan Man Sin Lau, the leader of the Fukien American Association, gained a status like Benny Ong did with the Cantonese.

The Fuk Ching gang members are often the workers of the Snakehead gang where they would be the ones to collect money from the illegal Fuzhou immigrants who owed money to the Snakeheads, which they had borrowed to come over to the United States. Sometimes, the Fuk Ching gang members would hold the migrants hostage and even violently beat them until they paid up the loans they owed.

Although the Fuzhou Gangs gained more prevalence much later than the Cantonese gangs in Chinatown, they have been around as early as the 1980s though with more limited prevalence prior to the time when the Cantonese Freemasons gang were attempting to claim East Broadway as its own territories, which fell apart after three Freemason gang members were killed in gang violence.[70][71][72] [73] [74] [75]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Chinatown New York". Civitatis New York. Retrieved November 30, 2020. As its name suggests, Chinatown is where the largest population of Chinese people live in the Western Hemisphere.
  2. ^ * "Chinatown New York City Fact Sheet" (PDF). www.explorechinatown.com. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  3. ^ Marina Nazario (February 10, 2016). "I went on a tour of Manhattan's Chinatown and discovered some of the most unusual groceries I've ever seen". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  4. ^ Stefanie Tuder (February 25, 2019). "Believe It or Not, New York City Has Nine Chinatowns". EATER NY. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  5. ^ "American FactFinder - Results". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  6. ^
  7. ^ Chinatown: The Socioeconomic ... – Min Zhou Google Books. (January 24, 1995). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  8. ^ Teenage hipster in the modern world ... – Mark Jacobson Google Books. (March 25, 2005). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  9. . Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  10. ^ a b Michael Daly (February 14, 1983). Google Books, New York Magazine - The war for Chinatown. All rights reserved. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  11. ^ The new Chinatown – Peter Kwong Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  12. ^ Lyons, Richard D. (September 14, 1986). "Satellite Chinatowns Burgeon Throughout New York". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  13. ^ Rohter, Larry (May 26, 1985). "Tongs, Triads and a Chinatown Tragedy". The New York Times.
  14. ^ NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: CHINATOWN; Latest Wave of Immigrants Is Splitting Chinatown. The New York Times (June 12, 1994). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  15. ^ The Rough Guide to New York – Andrew Rosenberg, Martin Dunford Google Books. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  16. ^ Global human smuggling: comparative ... – David Kyle, Rey Koslowski Google Books. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  17. ^ God in Chinatown: religion and ... – Kenneth J. Guest Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  18. ^ The new Chinatown – Peter Kwong Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  19. ^ Illegal immigration in America: a ... – David W. Haines, Karen Elaine Rosenblum Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  20. ^ "Payday Loans No Credit Check in New York and other United States". indypressny.org. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  21. ^ The Hong Kong reader: passage to ... – Ming K. Chan, Gerard A. Postiglione Google Books. (July 1, 1997). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  22. ^ God in Chinatown: religion and ... – Kenneth J. Guest Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  23. ^ Chinatowns of New York City – Wendy Wan-Yin Tan Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  24. ^ a b Reconstructing Chinatown: ethnic ... – Jan Lin Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  25. ^ a b Surviving the City: the Chinese ... – Xinyang Wang Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  26. . Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  27. . Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  28. ^ The new Chinese America: class ... – Xiaojian Zhao Google Books. (January 19, 2010). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  29. ^ Frommer's Memorable Walks in New York – Reid Bramblett Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  30. ^ National Geographic Traveler: New ... – Michael S. Durham Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  31. ^ Smuggled Chinese: clandestine ... – Ko-lin Chin Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  32. ^ Rousmaniere, Peter. (2006-03-17) Smuggling of Chinese workers into the United States. workingimmigrants.com. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  33. ^ a b 近30年来美国华侨华人职业与经济状况的变化及发展态势 Archived April 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (in Chinese). Qwgzyj.gqb.gov.cn (October 8, 2011). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  34. ^ Zhuang Guo-tu, "From sailors of jumping ship to the main actors of East Broadway: Studies on Fuzhou immigrants into U.S. A. in last 20 years", Overseas Chinese History Study, 2003, No. 3, pp 30
  35. ^ 福州晚报. 66163.com. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  36. ^ The power of urban ethnic places ... – Jan Lin Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  37. ^ The new Chinese America: class ... – Xiaojian Zhao Google Books. (January 19, 2010). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  38. ^ Voices That Must Be Heard: Fuzhou Province immigration increasing, rivaling Cantonese. Immigrants moving to Eighth Avenue, Brooklyn – New York Community Media Alliance. Indypressny.org (June 16, 2002). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  39. .
  40. ^ Peter Kwong (September 16, 2009). "Answers About the Gentrification of Chinatown". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
  41. . Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  42. . Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  43. ^ Jian-Cuo, World Journal, 9 May 2007, then translated from Chinese by Connie Kong (May 17, 2007). "High demand for illegal Chinatown apartments". New York Community Media Alliance. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  44. ^
  45. ^ Chen, Xiaoning (July 1, 2019). "– The Decline of East Broadway?". Voices of New York. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  46. ^ "A Tale of Two Chinatowns – Gentrification in NYC - Rosenberg 2018". Eportfolios@Macaulay – Your Cabinet of Curiosities. May 10, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  47. ^ "新怡東關門 東百老匯商戶心慌". 世界新聞網. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  48. . Accessed March 15, 2023. "In fact, East Broadway is now known as the 'Wall Street of Chinatown': five new banks have opened on the street since the factories closed."
  49. ^ Branches Archived May 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Faib.com. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  50. ^ Citibank Locator[permanent dead link]. Locations.citibank.com. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  51. ^ Abacus Federal Savings Bank Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Abacusbank.com (December 14, 1971). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  52. ^ Asia Bank, N.A. Asia Bank, N.A. (June 27, 2011). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  53. ^ United Orient Bank Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Uobusa.com (July 2, 2001). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  54. ^ State/Region Selector Archived April 19, 2004, at the Wayback Machine. Cathay Bank (March 19, 2009). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  55. ^ Branch Locations – Manhattan. Eastwestbank.com. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  56. ^ HSBC ATM and Branch Locations – Branch Details. Banking.us.hsbc.com. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  57. ^ Postings: Chinatown's Wall St.; New Bank Tower. The New York Times (November 25, 1990). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  58. ^ The new Chinatown – Peter Kwong Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  59. ^ New York Magazine Google Books. (December 17, 1973). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  60. ^ Kurutz, Steven. (2008-11-02) The Voice – Author Henry Chang Raises the Veil on Crime in Chinatown. NYTimes.com. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  61. ^ Chinatown Gangs: Extortion ... – Ko-lin Chin Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  62. ^ New York City Chinatown – Newspaper Articles. Nychinatown.org (January 31, 1977). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  63. New York Times
    , May 25, 1985.
  64. New York Times
    , May 13, 1986.
  65. ^ "Shootout in Chinatown - NYC (1985)". YouTube.
  66. ^ "Shooting in Chinatown - 1985". YouTube.
  67. ^ Rohter, Larry (May 22, 1985). "Residents of Chinatown Try to Explain Shooting". The New York Times.
  68. ^ The snakehead: an epic tale of the ... – Patrick Radden Keefe Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  69. ^ NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: CHINATOWN; Tongs and Gangs: Shifting the Links. The New York Times (August 21, 1994). Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  70. ^ Handbook of organized crime in the ... – Robert J. Kelly, Ko-lin Chin, Rufus Schatzberg Google Books.. Retrieved on October 18, 2011.
  71. ^ "Shootout in Chinatown - NYC (1985)". YouTube.
  72. ^ "Shooting in Chinatown - 1985". YouTube.
  73. ^ Rohter, Larry (May 22, 1985). "Residents of Chinatown Try to Explain Shooting". The New York Times.

External links

40°42′52″N 73°59′16″W / 40.71444°N 73.98778°W / 40.71444; -73.98778