Over 70 volunteers came together, in masks and in a socially distant way, on a beautiful Saturday morning to show their love for Boston Chinatown through cleaning up the streets. The Clean-Up Day was organized by BCNC, Chinatown Main Street, and the City of Boston’s Love Your Block program. This event was a part of the We Love Boston Chinatown resiliency campaign, a partnership with community organizations, businesses, artists, and residents that aims to uplift and celebrate the Boston Chinatown community.

Volunteers picked up trash and swept the streets to beautify the neighborhood. Volunteers from Boston Hurricanes pulled weeds in Reggie Wong Park so that it can be used for recreation for the community again. The Hudson Lot was also cleaned up and will become the location for the Residence Lab art installation, a collaborative project with artists and residents, organized by Asian Community Development Corporation and Pao Arts Center.

Boston Chinatown faced anti-Asian racism and xenophobia as early as January 2020, before shutdowns occurred. Business have been struggling and many have closed. Volunteers and community members believe in the resiliency of Chinatown and its residents. Ben Hires, CEO shares, “The “We Love Boston Chinatown” resiliency campaign is an effort to just show love and support for the residents. They’ve all been stuck inside. They’ve all been experiencing fear to be outside because of the anti-Asian xenophobia. This is just to build up the neighborhood again.”

Special thanks to: BCNC Bamboo Circle, Pao Arts Center, Chinatown Main Street, City of Boston and Lisa Hy, Mayor Marty Walsh, Councilor Ed Flynn, Representative Aaron Michlewitz, Captain Robert Ciccolo, Councilor Michelle Wu, Chinatown Land Trust, One Greenway, Asian Community Development Corporation, Boston Hurricanes Athletic Club, Boston Freemasons Athletic Club, Taiwanese American Professionals Boston, Joy Lim Nakrin, and Asian American Commission.

Boston Globe (August 22, 2020) - Chinatown Cleans Up, getting ready for its next act

NBC Boston (August 23, 2020) - Chinatown Gets Cleaned Up