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News :: Organizing : Politics |
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Boston's Chinatown Community Shows Solidarity and Pride |
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by Michael Ferola
Email: mferola (nospam) ferola.com (unverified!) |
21 Jul 2006
Modified: 24 Jul 2006 |
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BOSTON, Mass. -- In response to a group of men fighting near 88 Beech Street in Chinatown on Thursday, July 20, 2006 at approximately 7:10PM, members of a group of the local neighborhood Crime Watch sprang into action. Crime watch team members, Tony Yee and Michael Wong among other community members, tried to talk the disorderly men out of fighting and to move on. After being threatened by these men, the team immediately called police. |
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The Boston Police and the Mass. State Police arrived on the scene within a minute or so. The police quickly and professionally apprehended the men who disrupted an otherwise pleasant evening on Chinatown’s “Main Street.” One of the men involved in the fighting was taken away by ambulance as a result of his injuries. Witnesses interviewed claimed the men were from Houston and staying at the Pine Street Inn. Why they were loitering in Chinatown was not clear.
This incident illustrates that the Crime Watch in Chinatown is working. The community working together has reduced crime in a visible way, and has ensured that the shopping, dining, and people watching center that locals and tourists come to enjoy remains a desirable hot spot. The persistent vigilance of these proud neighbors is keeping Chinatown one of Boston’s great neighborhoods.
This reporter interviewed the Crime Watch team following the incident. The conversations revealed that the community of the Chinatown neighborhood has been working hard in many ways to keep their ‘town’ pleasant, safe, and welcoming. In addition, they are working on many other projects including the possibility of constructing another traditional Chinese gate for Chinatown, and planting flowers and other greenery. The people interviewed expressed great pride in their work, and were proud of working as a community.
Although they follow the advice of the Boston Police and work with representatives from state and local government, the solidarity of this group is what works so well. They are local residents and they are taking the initiative and the responsibility for improving their neighborhood and working toward a brighter future for themselves and their children. The solidarity and pride of Boston’s Chinatown is a model for other communities looking to take more control of their future and improve their present situation without relying completely on local, state, or federal governments.
For more information on Boston’s Chinatown see http://www.chinatownmainstreet.org |
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This work is in the public domain. |
