love letter to chinatown

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"when i was a child, i used to spend hours at kinokuniya bookstore, reading through the back of mangas to see which plot line intrigued me the most. two decades later, and i can still spend my whole day in chinatown. whether or not that's spending my day on my laptop at eastern cafe, chatting with regulars and grabbing some food at ganbei, browsing through the art in uwajimaya, buying bubble tea at young tea, oasis, or seattle best, meeting friends at hong kong bistro, and ending my night at kings or casa. i found comfort to be within my own culture, to be in asian culture, to be in diversity. i long for the days that i can stay in kinokuniya, studying asian graphic designing and studying chinese historical art. 

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these times in chinatown, was also where i spent a lot of time learning how to be an ally, to those who do not share the same ethnicity to me. the diverse businesses there provided a space for me and my friends to truly flourish and connect with people, to find similarities and differences, to enjoy different cultures together. 

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to create change in the world, we truly believe in the power of love and kindness. even when the racism and discrimination on asians is real, the pain and fear is real, the love that shines when a community comes together in solidarity through adversity, is always brighter. we hope we can all come together, collectively, we are resilient and we will overcome.  

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- community member