On Friday, Oct. 23, officials and approximately 10,000 community members gathered at 60th Street and 8th Avenue to co-name the street and officially recognize the history of Brooklyn’s Chinatown.
The event featured entertainment, performances, remarks from elected officials and the new street sign unveiling.
“[Today] we’re really recognizing the Chinese community and all the contributions that we have been doing here the last 40 years,” said Paul Mak, CEO of the Brooklyn Chinese-America Association.
According to councilmember Susan Zhuang, Brooklyn’s Chinatown “wasn’t always a place that people wanted to be.”
Zhuang said that storefronts have been empty and apartments have been vacant in the area in the past.
“But, thanks to the hard work of countless community members and their organizations, we have a neighborhood that is vibrant and growing every day,” Zhuang said. “The streets are filled with people, restaurants are thriving and public safety has improved.”
According to Historia, Chinatown in Sunset Park emerged during the 1980s, when the first Chinese grocery store in Brooklyn opened in 1983 and a Cantonese-style seafood restaurant opened on 8th Avenue in 1985. Since then, other Brooklyn Chinatowns have grown.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso made an appearance at the ceremony last week, alongside NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and more, according to Yahoo.
Tony Ko, a volunteer district leader, spoke about what the street name means to the community. “Today is history, but it is also a starting line,” he said. “A street designation protects memory, but our job now is to protect the future.”
According to Ko, if people show up, organize and vote, Brooklyn can reflect everyone. “That’s how we go from being designated on one street to being represented in City Hall and Albany,” he said.
