Join us for a conversation on the bilingual publication “Belonging, Bought and Sold,” a critical essay about Asian American identity and the gentrification of historical ethnic enclaves, written by artist and organizer Carol Zou. This roundtable discussion will include the perspectives of Theresa Hyuna Hwang, Jeremy Liu, Dan S. Wang, and Carol Zou, who will read an excerpt of the essay. All attendees will receive a copy of this publication, which will be published in June 2022.

Neighborhoods that change quickly due to rapid influxes of development capital may shortchange long term residents of services and affordable amenities. Elderly residents are often particularly vulnerable when a neighborhood begins to attract affluent younger people. And yet, anti-gentrification campaigns and activists, while uniformly critical of speculative capital and luxury development, often fail to clearly articulate a theory of belonging that would provide a basis for sustainable neighborhood development. This project advances the conversation about these patterns, using the contradictions seen in the examples of Little Tokyo and Chinatown to complicate the claims to a neighborhood. All factors of livability, mental health, and community wellness are implicated in this question of Who has a right to the neighborhood?