Why Philly’s Chinatown and Callowhill neighborhoods are fighting over land
Philly's changing demographics, and what some residents see as a renewed threat to Chinatown’s cultural identity, are at the center of this debate.
Listen 14:00
The intersection of 11th and Callowhill streets in Philadelphia, where Chinatown meets Callowhill. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
Philadelphia’s Chinatown and Callowhill neighborhoods are each trying to create business improvement districts. The problem is that the two communities claim a piece of land that overlaps both neighborhoods, which has brewed a bitter fight. On this episode of The Why, Jake Blumgart, a reporter for WHYY’s PlanPhilly, explains why the city’s changing demographics, and what some residents see as a renewed threat to Chinatown’s cultural identity, are at the center of this debate.
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