"Chinatown Past and Present" with Vivian Chang of AAU

For the August 2024 monthly meeting, the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) welcomed Vivian Chang, Executive Director of Asian Americans United (AAU), who discussed the past and present of Chinatown’s 150 year old immigrant community.

AAU is offering new walking tours as part of the No Arena movement, emphasizing the priceless value of protecting Chinatown. Vivian discussd the threat of displacement of the Chinatown community that will result from the construction of the arena, as well as examples from Chinatown’s history of resistance that inform the walking tour and the campaign to oppose the proposed arena. Chinatown is the last remaining community of color in Center City, yet its existence has repeatedly been threatened over the last six decades.

Vivian previously worked in labor organizing and voter outreach, organizing multiracial communities in multiple states. She holds an MPA from Princeton University, a BS in Biological Physics, and BA in Hispanic Studies from Carnegie Mellon University.

Following Vivan's presentation, APT member Judy Smith discusses the NFTGA conference that will be in Philadelphia in January 2025, and APT President Marianne Ruane gives the announcements of upcoming events.