Big changes in Little China

BOSTON- Big changes are afoot in Boston’s little China. A neighborhood watch now patrols the old, dark streets. A luxury hotel now stands in the old Combat Zone. The community has seen much longer lines at the polls as residents turn out in larger numbers. The political involvement is paying off. This year will see the first Asian-American to run for mayor of Boston. Even the language has changed in Chinatown as a global community and a culture move into a global world.

Many of the changes in Chinatown are visible, but if you listen closely, there is also a new voice in Boston's most densely populated neighborhood. The Mandarin dialect of Chinese is becoming increasingly popular as many locals react to the rising importance China holds in the world. This new, more global outlook has changed the way Chinatown speaks.

As more immigrants move from mainland China, where the Mandarin dialect of Chinese is spoken, they bring their language with them. Mandarin is the form of Chinese used in all law and businesses, yet until recently Cantonese was the dialect that dominated Boston’s Chinatown.

“Yes, a lot of people now are speaking Mandarin in Chinatown. 20 years ago, nobody spoke Mandarin here. Now, more people come from China, more immigrants speak Mandarin here. Parents teach it to their children now,” said Pauline Lin, a teacher at the Chung Wak Chinese School in Chinatown.

Chinatown residents are using this new voice to speak up like never before. A report by the Civic Engagement Initiative found a 25% increase in Chinatown’s voter turnout between the last two presidential elections.

To many in Chinatown, City Councilor Sam Yoon is the face of this change. The young Korean-American councilor has only served only three years on city council. Far from the local veteran politicians who traditionally dominate the mayoral ballot, Yoon may get the votes he needs from the Asian community.

"We all have a stake in what happens in our neighborhoods, and it's always a good thing when more people take an active role in their community,” Yoon said.

Yoon’s campaign, which kicked off at Chau Chow City, a local dim sum restaurant, has strong roots in Chinatown. Before his first run for City Council in 2005, Yoon worked within Chinatown as a community organizer on a land issue stemming from the Big Dig.

Chinatown has supported Yoon in the past, and many community groups expect that the trend will continue.

Politics, however, are not the only things changing in Chinatown. The very streets of the neighborhood have been transformed over the past 20 years through a collaboration of community groups, investments by local colleges, and the city to clean up the streets of Chinatown. Most recently, construction has begun on the W Hotel, a 26-story luxury hotel on the corner of Stuart and Tremont streets.

As expensive condominiums such as the recently constructed Archstone Apartments on Beach Street begin to crowd out the tiny gift shops and dim sum restaurants in Chinatown, many residents wonder who this development will benefit.

“Gentrification,” Albert Chan, a long-time Chinatown resident said slowly, “that is a word that is hard for me to say. Jobs-- it is all about jobs now. Many people do not feel that when the W Hotel opens that Chinatown residents will be hired.”

The Boston Redevelopment Authority says that the opening of the new hotel, slated for Sept. 9, will create 300 permanent jobs. Chinatown residents, who say they are often over looked by the gentrification process, want to ensure that at least some of the new jobs go to people in the community.

At a community speak-out meeting held by the Chinese Progressive Association, residents testified that the recent developments have caused small business in Chinatown to fail, caused rent to rise, and displaced families.

Bill Buce, the general manager of the W Hotel said that they plan to work with Chinatown to meet the community’s demands. Buce said the hotel will work with community groups to recruit workers within Chinatown.

“In general, luxury development doesn’t help sustain neighborhoods like Chinatown where affordable housing and small business spaces are the priorities,” Alex Zhang of the Asian Community Development Corporation said.

According to Zhang, all the current affordable housing projects planned for Chinatown are stalled due to the economy.

*written for Beat Reporting, 4/09

Iceland looks to fishing industry to end recession

REYKJAVIK- The key to reviving Iceland’s economy may lie in the country itself—-literally. Since a severe economic depression hit the country last fall, the small north-Atlantic island now looks toward its largest industries to bring stability back to Iceland. As Icelandic fishing vessels bring home millions of dollars worth of fish and the central bank lowers interest rates by the week, Icelanders may have a brighter future ahead.

In the past two weeks, the central Icelandic bank, Sedlabanki, has lowered its benchmark interest rate from its all-time high of 17 percent to 15.5 percent. As the Krona stabilizes, many Icelandic fisheries bring valuable foreign currency into the country. Kristinn Soffanias Runarsson comes from a family with a long history in the Icelandic fishing industry. According to Runarsson, fishing plays a key role in rebuilding Iceland.

“As of now, the fishing industry is the sole source of foreign currency flowing into the country, along with aluminum from the smelter plants. This hasn’t changed for decades, but I think now these companies are our best bet to help get foreign currency into Iceland,” Runarsson said.

According to a report by the Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, roughly 8,000 Icelanders were employed in the fishing and fish processing industry last year.

During the hardest times, many Icelanders began to favor joining the European Union to regain their economic stability. Traditionally, Icelanders have been opposed to this option because of the changes it will bring to the fishing industry. Agust Olafur Agustsson is currently a member of the Icelandic Parliament, Althing. According to Agustsson, joining the EU would not affect the sovereignty of Icelandic fishing waters as much as many believe.

“The EU fishery policy isn’t such a big threshold as many people think. First of all the rule of relativity stability, which is the cornerstone of EU fishery policy, depends more and less of the traditional fishing patterns of the countries. The big change is that the decision of the size of the quota (TAC) will be decided by the Council of Ministers in Brussels but it would only be a formal decision because Iceland would have all the quotas according to [relative] stability,” Agustsson said.

According to Agustsson, Iceland would still be largely able to control their own fishing and would gain ownership of all of their fishing quotas. Agreements to share fish with other countries, called quota hopping, would be controlled through close international communication. When Norway joined the European Economic Area in 1994, they were given four years to adjust their quotas with those of other nations.

”As a member-state Iceland would gain a lot of possibilities in fishing all around the world because of the many agreements that EU has with another countries. The EU has always showed great concern about areas which are very [dependent] on fisheries or one industry. It’s also not in the interest of EU to destroy a small economy or a new member-state.”

The decisions made to establish fishing quotas are a topic of debate even among Icelanders. “The political parties are always debating about the quota system. I’d say that the people are split in the decision about if the system is good or not,” Runarsson said.

*written for International News 4/09, Photo courtesy of the AP.

Rebuilding Iceland

REYKJAVIK- The Land of Fire and Ice is ready to rebuild. Once hailed as the most developed nation in the world, Iceland is not backing down from the daunting task of restructuring its recently crippled economy and collapsed government. Iceland has been one of the hardest hit countries in the most recent global economic recession but unlike many they may stand the best chance of recovery. Now, the country is looking ahead to the future and to re-establishing itself as one of the most stable nations in the world.

Between 2003 and 2007, the Icelandic stock market multiplied almost nine times. Last fall, as global markets plummeted, Iceland’s banks found themselves with no way to refinance loans. The small country of just over 300,000 people was unable to bail out a banking system which now owed over six times its gross domestic product. Early in September, the Icelandic government stepped in, buying large shares in one of the largest banks. By early October, the situation had become much more desperate. Through the use of anti-terror laws, the United Kingdom was able to freeze Icelandic assets in UK-based institutions when it was announced that UK funds in Icelandic banks could not be guaranteed. Iceland bought its three largest banks in a last-ditch effort to save its economy.

“A few people made a few very grave mistakes but I think they’ll come out of it alright. They [Iceland] put no real regulations on the banks. Without regulations, the banks ended up in the hands of a very few people who just went hog-wild,” Elisha Lee, the Honorary Consulate to Iceland in Boston said.

By late November, Iceland became the first Western country to receive a loan from the International Monetary Fund since 1976. After receiving the IMF’s $2.1 billion loan, inflation in Iceland rose to a record high of 17.1 percent. By the end of January 2009, the people of Iceland had seen enough. Protests and a battle against throat cancer led Former Prime Minister Geir Haarde to announce a general election for the spring.

Many Icelanders felt the pinch of the economy. Vals Dottir Iris, treasurer of the Icelandic Society of Boston, said her family is an example of the wide-ranging effects of the economic situation in Iceland. “My brother lost his job. He was a carpenter. My brother-in-law is in 3D animation and he lost his job as well,” she said.

Headed by Johanna Sigurdardottir, the first openly lesbian prime minister, Iceland is looking ahead to the future. “It’s a new perspective. She’s a tough broad. She’s not going to put up with any nonsense. She’s kind of like a breath of fresh air. I feel that she’s not one of the good ‘ol boys,” Iris said.



One proposal for quickly restoring Iceland’s economy is a move to join the European Union and adopt the Euro. Irish agrees with this plan. “Absolutely. I’ve preferred that for years. Everyone is just worried about their fishing territories. I think it’s time to get with the program,” she said. Traditionally, Icelanders have been opposed to joining the EU because of the loss of rights in their fishing lands. Some still do not believe that stability can be found in the EU. “I’m not sure that the Euro is going to last. I’m not sure that that would be the best idea,” said Lee.

“I think Iceland will come out of it alright. They’re got a very educated, literate population,” Lee said.

According to a press release, major changes have been made to the country’s banks, including the establishment of a monetary policy committee. The additions and recent changes were made in order to increase confidence within Iceland and abroad.

“Obviously I hope everything will get back to normal but they have a long, long road ahead of them,” Iris said. “It's going to take a long time to regain trust in the international markets. It’s going to take another decade at least.”

*written for International News- 4/09, photo courtesy of the AP.