Tense Times in Chinatown

Ok. Times are tense in Chinatown: a city councilperson brokered a deal with the city, whereby she agreed to a 29 story new jail tower (to replace and expand an existing jail, part of the city’s plan to close Rikers), in exchange for $50 million in community aid, $35 million of which is going to MOCA (Museum of Chinese in America), a struggling museum with a pre-pandemic attendance of 50,000 a year that saw 85% of its collection compromised in a 2020 fire. The chair of MOCA’s board, Johnathan Chu, has also recently terminated the lease of Jing Fong, a vast banqueting restaurant that fed 10,000 diners a week and employed over 100 unionized employees, before revenue plunged 80% during the pandemic. A collection of artists, architects, and unionized restaurant workers see clear connections between these events, and not taking them sitting down. They would like to stop the jail, re-open the restaurant, and redirect the aid away from MOCA and to small businesses. The laid off restaurant workers are leading a daily picket line in front of MOCA, complete with drums. Art Agai…