Weren’t there two Detroit Chinatowns? Detroit indeed had two official Chinatowns. Let’s delve into the story of Detroit Chinatown.
The first Chinese immigrant, Ah-Chee, arrived in 1872. He lived on Gratiot Avenue. More Chinese Detroiters followed. Most came from Taishan. This city is in Guangdong province. Single men traveled across the Pacific. They landed in California. Then they journeyed to Detroit by train. This trip covered nearly 8,000 miles. Settled in, newcomers often returned to China. They married and sponsored family to join them in Detroit.
The first concentration of Chinese immigrants was near Grand Circus Park. But in 1917, the On Leong Tong established a permanent space. It was near Third and Porter Streets. This location was just west of downtown. Detroit Chinatown was born.
By the 1930s, Detroit Chinatown thrived. Restaurants, laundries, and shops bustled with activity. Families often lived above or behind their businesses. This created an ethnic enclave. Chinese Detroiters spoke their language there. They bought familiar groceries. They built community and made a living.
Residents recall attending church. They went to Chinese school. They watched Chinese opera and movies. Families picnicked on Belle Isle on weekends. Hundreds of Chinese families joined. Detroit Chinatown was a home away from home. It was a safe haven from racism.
Urban renewal projects forced Detroit Chinatown to relocate in the early 1960s. This “slum clearing” also affected Black communities. Detroit Chinatown was rebuilt in the Cass Corridor. Its borders were Cass Avenue, Peterboro Street, Second Avenue, and Temple Street.
Chinese Detroiters continued to gather. They visited for food, shopping, church, school, and community events. The tradition of Belle Isle picnics continued.
The population dwindled in the decades after the relocation. Yet, the Chinatown pagoda still stands. It is at Cass and Peterboro. It honors the history of Detroit Chinatown.
Traces of Detroit’s past Chinatowns remain. This small neighborhood within the Cass Corridor was once a cultural center. It served Chinese and Chinese Americans in Metro Detroit. Two monuments mark the city’s second Chinatown. One is on the corner of Peterboro and Cass. The other is on the corner of Peterboro and Second.
The first Chinese migrants’ arrival date is hard to pinpoint. Reporters in the 1800s did not differentiate between East Asian cultures. In 1874, 14 Chinese washermen lived in Detroit. The population grew to 2,000 by the 1920s.
In 1913, Chinese Detroiters lived all over downtown. Their cultural base was at the On Leong Association building. In 1917, the Association bought land. They built headquarters, stores, and apartments. This became the city’s first Detroit Chinatown. It was at Third and Porter. Today, the area is a parking lot.
From the 1920s to 1950s, Detroit Chinatown was vibrant. Chinese Americans celebrated New Year’s and other occasions there. In the early 1960s, the Detroit Housing Commission condemned Detroit Chinatown. It was part of their “slum clearance” program. Local merchants hoped to relocate to the International Village. But those plans failed.
Many residents moved to the suburbs during the 60s. Chung’s restaurant and On Leong relocated to Cass Avenue. They anchored a new Detroit Chinatown. A Chinese school, a grocery, restaurants, and bars followed. But, by the 1970s, the Cass Corridor was unsafe. Visitors came less frequently.
After 79 years, Chung’s closed in 2000. The second Detroit Chinatown was abandoned. A mural commemorated civil rights issues. It affected ethnic groups in Detroit’s history. The Lodge and Chrysler Freeway edged out the original Detroit Chinatown. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech was depicted. Lily Chin held a picture of her son Vincent. He was a victim of a hate crime in 1982.
These monuments are disappearing traces. They once marked a vibrant Chinese American community. As the Cass Corridor revitalizes, it remains to be seen if any markers of Detroit Chinatown will survive.