华盛顿唐人街中国文化在褪色

Chinese Culture Fades in Washington's Chinatown 华盛顿唐人街中国文化在褪色

WASHINGTON— Washington’s Chinatown was once the home of many Chinese immigrants. But over the years, the Chinese population has decreased sharply, which has caused the local Chinese culture to fade.

Artist Tiesheng Dai is one of the few Chinese residents remaining in the U.S. capital’s Chinatown. He used to have two art galleries. But rent hikes forced him to close both of them. A sign outside the building is the only evidence they existed.

The area's housing costs have been pushed up over the years by other ethnic¹ groups flooding in. Its Chinese population has shrunk from a high of 3,000 to around 300 today.

Chinatown began to develop decades ago, as new immigrants moved there because most of them faced language and cultural barriers in other neighborhoods.

Tom Fong, vice² chairman of the local chapter of the Chinese Consolidated³ Benevolent⁴ Association, says things gradually changed.

"As quickly as the kids they bring over assimilate [adopting] the English language, the parents actually lean on them to [say] 'you know, we are gonna move. You are gonna help us to register yourself for school in another school district.' We don't actually need a Chinatown English speaking translator or liaison⁵ to help get us there," Fong says.

Most of the current Chinese residents have low incomes and receive government subsidies⁶. Many live in Museum Square, one of Chinatown's two affordable⁷ apartment houses. But the government subsidy⁸ for this complex expires in October, and the owner plans to replace the building with modern high-rise condos. So the residents are being forced to move out.

Dai, the artist, has lived here for almost nine years. He says the remaining residents don’t want to move.

“There are a lot of kids and elderlies. Some of the kids were born in the complex. Some families with three generations are living together. Some of them have been here longer than me, for more than ten years. Some for 20 some years,” Dai says.

If affordable housing is no longer available, the residents may not be able to stay in the Chinatown area, according to Derek Hyra, the director of American University’s Metropolitan⁹ Policy Center.

“A fair market rental¹⁰ unit in the Chinatown area goes for $1,200 a month. Every unit that has been built in the Chinatown area, for a one bedroom [apartment] averages about $2,000 a month. That means if the residents in those two buildings are displaced, they will not be able to use their [housing subsidy] voucher¹¹ in the Chinatown community,” he says.

Hyra says without Chinese residents, the local government cannot promote Chinatown as an authentic¹² ethnic tourist attraction. He says the neighborhood contributes to the city’s diversity, and that is key to Washington’s economic growth.

"I think that cities that are more racially tolerant and ethnically¹³ and racially diverse tend to be the places that have the most innovation. There is association between diversity and economic development,” says he.

And Tom Fong says, when it comes to retaining Chinese culture, Chinatown matters.

"My hope is that my kids and their kids will still have that touchstone of Chinatown to be a part of and come down here to perform [the] lion dance, and to do Kong Fu and spread our culture, to retain our culture for generations to come," Fong says.

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 consolidated   

a.联合的

参考例句：

• With this new movie he has consolidated his position as the country's leading director. 他新执导的影片巩固了他作为全国最佳导演的地位。
• Those two banks have consolidated and formed a single large bank. 那两家银行已合并成一家大银行。

4 benevolent   

adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的

参考例句：

• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him.他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。
• He was a benevolent old man and he wouldn't hurt a fly.他是一个仁慈的老人，连只苍蝇都不愿伤害。

5 liaison   

n.联系，（未婚男女间的）暖昧关系，私通

参考例句：

• She acts as a liaison between patients and staff.她在病人与医护人员间充当沟通的桥梁。
• She is responsible for liaison with researchers at other universities.她负责与其他大学的研究人员联系。

6 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

8 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

9 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

10 rental   

n.租赁，出租，出租业

参考例句：

• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
• We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。

11 voucher   

n.收据；传票；凭单，凭证

参考例句：

• The government should run a voucher system.政府应该施行凭证制度。
• Whenever cash is paid out,a voucher or receipt should be obtained.无论何时只要支付现金，就必须要有一张凭据或者收据。

12 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

13 ethnically   

adv.人种上，民族上

参考例句：

• Ethnically, the Yuan Empire comprised most of modern China's ethnic groups. 元朝的民族成分包括现今中国绝大多数民族。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Russia is ethnically relatively homogeneous. 俄罗斯是个民族成分相对单一的国家。 来自辞典例句