Chinatown

Our Mayor, Our Chinatown

Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood is the third largest Chinese community in the United States. One of the smaller neighborhoods of the city, Mayor Menino has made great strides in raising the quality of life and increasing the economic opportunities. Showing his commitment to the neighborhood, the Mayor said, “Chinatown is one of Boston’s most unique neighborhoods. We are committed to helping the community preserve what makes it special. And we also have an obligation to help them navigate the changes that are inevitable in such a dynamic and vibrant urban area.”

During his tenure, Mayor Menino has strongly supported Chinatown, supporting community priorities to increase affordable housing, establish a permanent location for the Quincy Upper School, create the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, which provides residents with English-language classes, childcare, and recreational opportunities, and invest in the small business of the area through the Chinatown Main Streets program. Project Place has also received funding to provide expanded cleanup services for the neighborhood.

Another important resource to many Chinatown residents is the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians, headed by Reverend Cheng Im Tan, former Director of the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence.  Reverend Tan’s office works with a range of immigrant communities to ensure that residents have access to a range of social services.  Another neighborhood resident, Kairos Shen, serves as the City’s Chief Planner at the Boston Redevelopment Authority.