As Philadelphia’s Chinatown continues to expand with new residents and businesses, the proportion of Asian residents has fallen, intensifying worries over gentrification and the displacement of families and businesses that have long been part of the neighborhood, writes Nick Vadala for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund’s recent study revealed that New York City and Boston’s historic Chinatowns are mirroring the pattern seen in Philadelphia, as all three neighborhoods recorded declines in their proportion of Asian residents from 2010 to 2020.

The report notes that Philadelphia’s Chinatown population increased by 15 percent between 2010 and 2020, going up from roughly 5,900 to nearly 6,800. Most of this growth came from white residents, while the total number of Asian residents stayed largely unchanged.

Consequently, the proportion of Asian residents fell to around 36 percent from 42 percent in that period, while white residents made up 44 percent in 2020, up from 29 percent a decade earlier.

In Philadelphia, the results come amid years of neighborhood efforts to push back against local development projects that could challenge existing residents.

This includes the controversial Sixers arena proposal, which was dropped in January after intense public debate.

Read more about Philadelphia’s Chinatown and its shifting demographics in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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