0:00 - Introducing Ming Xian Lin also known as Cindy; born in Shanghai and came with son and husband to New York in 1990; discusses childhood in Shanghai during cultural revolution; feeling uncomfortable coming to the US; she worked on Centre street in a garment factory and moved there from Pell street after a few years; she felt Chinatown was very dangerous at first because her son was robbed; stayed because she didn’t feel like she could go anywhere else; Chinatown is getting better and more spacious
Direct segment link:
10:25 - She was 38 when she came to the US; worked 20 years at a Shanghai telephone company; compared it to working as a farmer; talks about her promotions and time there; came to the US because her husband’s mother lived in the US; how she got her sewing job and picked it up easily; left the first garment factory for a second one because of unfair pay; husband’s job and how he lost it; her husband became a presser to make money
Direct segment link:
20:01 - Describes the different experiences between the garment factories; she learned to sew all the difficult parts; garment factories are declining as businesses; she hurt her finger and had to stop working; she decided to learn English through ESL classes; buying live chickens at the market in Chinatown; Chinatown has changed and gotten more expensive so Chinese move out to Brooklyn; Chinatown is getting bigger but fewer Chinese people live there; the negative effects of hotels on the area
Direct segment link:
28:35 - Compares mayors Dinkens, Giuliani, and Bloomberg; likes Bloomberg because of his low income housing plans; thankful for education opportunities to help her learn English and facilitate becoming a citizen; she felt more comfortable and powerful having learned English; she isn’t confident enough to live too far away from Chinatown; she hopes that the government could renovate empty factories into residential units
Direct segment link:
38:05 - Discusses the borders of Chinatown when she first came; garment factory seemed like a refugee center for new immigrants and women, for men it was the restaurants, for children it was the library; she went to the east Broadway branch and exercised in Columbus Park; senior citizen centers are essential to public life for older people; her thoughts on people taking tours of the area; dislikes the selling of counterfeit goods since it makes the Chinese look bad
Direct segment link:
45:02 - She thinks people should learn English before getting to the US or take night classes; every new immigrant should pay taxes; discusses why some Chinese immigrants avoid taxes; she wants to sponsor her siblings and help them learn English before they arrive; English is more important than money; despite discrimination and prejudice among Chinese she still feels like its her community
Direct segment link:
53:26 - She is fine with the space changing in Chinatown but hopes that the people will rise with the neighborhood; people in Chinatown should become more educated like with computers so they can have more opportunities; compares the situation of Chinese and Hispanics and wants the Chinese to be more unified; she wishes all people were more conscientious about the needs of others
Direct segment link:
58:18 - She likes change; she explains why some people are forced out and others manage to stay; she believes strongly in self improvement; recalls her experience starting English from scratch; she wants her grandchildren to be bilingual but English is more important; she doesn’t feel like her descendants need to live in Chinatown since all people are equal; she wishes her English was better but she enjoys interacting with non-Chinese; there is good communication between the diverse communities
Direct segment link: