Throughout the past two months, while still remaining in the vein, my research focus has evolved into something unanticipated.

The first month of my study consisted of outreach efforts. Hoping to investigate the impact of COVID on housing displacement in Boston Chinatown, I was planning on building a network of interlocutors, ranging from members of grassroots Chinatown organizations to Chinatown residents, whom I could interview as a part of my ethnography research. It was during this process that I encountered a major obstacle. Despite the contacts and connections bridged by my mentor, I was getting little response due to the transitional period undergone by the organizations during the time of the outreach. I began thinking about alternative solutions to drive my research forward. 

Toward the end of June, I was able to volunteer at the Asian Community Development Corporation(ACDC), a Chinatown non-profit organization that heavily engages in the works of neighborhood stabilization, by serving as a translator and a front desk assistant. This opportunity introduced me to many field practitioners in housing counseling and real estate, who advocate for housing affordability. At the same time, thanks to my mentor, I had the chance to speak to Michael Liu, the author of Forever Struggles, a book that traces the history of Chinatown land preservation.

Hoping to recenter my research around my current resources, I began conducting interviews on background with ACDC staff members and attending public meetings that discuss and address ongoing issues of Chinatown land preservation. These conversations have made me realize the complexity of my tackled topic and the naive ambition of my previous research proposal. In July, I reoriented my studied subject, by tackling three research questions: 

1. What are the impacts of and how have the Chinatown residents responded to the pandemic’s exacerbation of the housing crisis?

2. What is the interplay between the acceleration of Chinatown’s gentrification and the city’s relevant housing protection policies as a response to the pandemic?

3. What collective community actions have been taken and how do Chinatown residents assess these efforts? 

to narrow my focus down to the third question - What collective community actions have been taken and how do Chinatown residents assess these efforts? I aim to conduct a policy analysis of the past four Chinatown Master Plans, supplemented by interviews with local advocates and residents. I am now in the process of an IRB review. While I entered the bulk of my research in the second half of this summer, I look forward to seeing its outcome.