Hola! Soy Jocelyn! Today we’re going on an adventure!
Do you like adventures? I like adventures too! Vamanos, amigos, let’s go! Where
are we going? *clap clap clap* CHINATOWN! Grab your map, and let’s go! Si, se
peude! This is a historical neighborhood on the eastern side of Washington
DC. They have many artifacts, events,
and restaurants such as their annual Chinese New Year Parade and Kung Fu
demonstrations that represent the culture of Asia. The boundarith Street, G Street, 8th Street, and
Massachusetts Ave NW. This neighborhood used to stretch all the way to the
Convention Center from 4th to 9th streets NW, but as
occurs frequently in Washington DC, plans were changed, and Chinatown slowly
decreased in size. Although the original
Chinatown is hard to find, there are still community groups in the area
passionately trying to sustain their culture. Overlapping China town, the other
neighborhoods you would find here are Mount Vernon Triangle and Penn Quarter.
es of Chinatown
stretch between 5
Closely related to
Chinese immigration, Chinatown history is the story of a nations experience
with discrimination and a search for acceptance in American society. As a result of the CA Gold Rush in the 1850s,
many individuals in China moved to the U.S. to seek out more economic
stability. However, in the 1870s the
Chinese were blamed for taking away jobs during and following the economic
depression escalating into a series of exclusion acts. Famously recognized, the 1882 Chinese
Exclusion Act aimed to restrict the Chinese from immigrating, owning property, and
becoming citizens.
Well, “A house divided
against itself cannot stand,” so Chinese immigrants settled in closely knit
areas referred to as “Chinatowns” all around Washington DC. In the towns, the homesick Chinese could live
in a world “separate” from American society where their culture was celebrated
and job opportunities increased. The
first establishment was built off of Pennsylvania Ave. with 100 residents in
about a dozen buildings. Chinatown
steadily expanded until 1929 when the government forcibly removed Chinatown to
make room for the Federal Triangle Project, a group of government and cultural
buildings. Although 398 people were
evicted from their homes, they were not discouraged and started a new Chinatown
between 5th and 7th streets. By 1936, 800 people were living in Chinatown
providing schools, community associations, clubs, and entertainment facilities
unique to their own culture.
In 1965, the Asian
immigration act was removed, but in 1968 the violence and riots associated with
America’s history caused the businesses to falter forcing many Chinese
residents to move to the suburbs. In
1976, when the metro opened it was simply named Gallery Place, adding Chinatown
in 1986. By 1977, only 20 of the former
153 original laundries were left untouched in the DC area. Because of the Convention Center’s
establishment, to preserve what was left of Chinatown, residents helped pass
the Wah Luck Project, now a senior living community, at the corner of 6th
and H Streets NW. Funding was secured by the US Department of Housing and Urban
Development and this institution was completed in 1982. By the late 1980s though, only 25% of
business in Chinatown remained Chinese owned, continuing to spark debates about
the authenticity of Chinatown having only 30 Chinese- owned businesses.
Fueling the argument
that it is a cultural neighborhood is the Friendship Archway, constructed in
1986 and located at the intersection of 7th and H Streets NW. It stretches 48’ wide and stands 76’ tall and
is the nation’s largest Chinese archway.
This $1 million multicolored work of art includes seven roofs up to six
feet high, 7000 tiles, and 272 painted dragons in the style of Ming and Ding
dynasties. In addition to serving as a
symbol of the friendship between DC and Beijing, it also is the gateway into
Chinatown and a famous landmark in DC. 
“WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?”
Heading down H Street
and turning right on 6th Street NW, you will come upon our next stop! Chinatown Express! Do you like noodles?
This authentic Chinese restaurant brings Chinese culture right to our
doorstep! Incredibly, it prides itself in being a family-run restaurant for
almost 25 years and serves yummy meals including individually folded dumplings,
delicious roasted meats, and hand pulled noodles, which you can see crafted
right in the front window! Do you know what else you can see in the front
window? Tannish-yellowish dead chickens. With the heads still attached. Cooked.
You could see the eye sockets just staring back at you and the beak
screaming for mercy. I guess I shouldn’t
judge the book by its cover, but I think I’d have to be really out of it to
willingly put one of those in my mouth.
“WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?”
Chinatown
also incorporates other cultures as you will notice when you continue down 6th
street NW. The German American Heritage
Museum (GAHM) was opened in 2010 as the first national inspiration for German
American culture. The GAHM seeks to tell
the story of German Americans and the part they played in shaping the nation
today. It is a place to come together
for discussion, study, and ideas about German, Swiss, Austrian, and Slovakian
Americans’ values as well as their future.
“WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?”
The Verizon Center is
a 20,000 seat multi-purpose center, hosting sporting events, concerts, and huge
gatherings year round. In its past, the
Verizon Center has hosted the All Star Games, the ACC tournament, the first and second rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, and
in 2016 it’s going to host the ACC tournament again! I’ve been to the Verizon
Center a couple of times, but the two times I can most remember is the time I
went for WWE Monday Night Raw (Please don’t judge and say that it’s fake
because I know. Let me have my soap
opera just like you have yours.), as well as the Wizards’ game. The contrast between the set up was
incredible. It looked like two different
venues. The wrestling match as well as
the game both included stadium seating, but the difference was that at the
wrestling match, the seating came all the way on the floor with the ring in the
middle, but at the game there was a HUGE basketball court where the ring and
extra seating had been. If this doesn’t
surprise you just think, the Verizon Center is also home to the NHL’s
Washington Capitals, the hockey team, so one way or another, the stadium
manages to also hide an ice rink there too!
The
Shakespeare Theater! Do you love acting? I like acting too! Mi amigas, Victoria
and Eliza-Jane, are also superb actresses! Do YOU know how to say actors in
Spanish? Actores! Can you say actores? Muy bien, fantastico! At the Shakespeare Theater in Washington DC,
many actors gather around to perform plays for huge audiences. Over the past quarter of a century, the
Shakespeare Theater has committed itself to bringing the thought-provoking
themes, intricate characters, and sharp language of William Shakespeare in a
uniquely American style.
“WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?"
The Crime and Punishment museum is a privately owned
museum dedicated to history and criminology and penology in the United
States. From Bonnie and Clyde to an
accurate representation of a jail cell, this museum’s got everything related to
the history crime and punishment. This museum all started when the founder,
John Morgan, visited Alcatraz Island, the former prison in San Francisco, CA
that is now a national park. After this
tour, he decided that a museum on the history of crime, punishment, and crime
scene investigation was needed. It
opened in 2008, and to this day "provides guests of all ages with memorable insight into our nation's history crime and its consequences, law enforcement, forensic science, and crime scene investigation tthrough a captivating, interactive, entertaining, and educational experience."
“WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?”
I remember one
time my friends and I (I don’t know if you’re familiar with them. Does The Backyardigans sound familiar?) went
on a spy mission, and we were all secret agents! My favorite part is when we
“Limbo-ed” under the laser beams and sang the song! “Limbo Lower Now!” I wonder
why we’re not in the Spy Museum? What is
the Spy Museum, you ask? The International Spy Museum is a privately owned
business dedicated to the history of espionage and features the largest
collection of internationally owned spy artifacts currently on public
display. Since 2002, its mission is to
educate the population on the great affects of espionage and the great effect
it had on current and historical events.
“WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?”
The
Gordon Biersch is a local brewery with other locations in different countries
as far as Taiwan! This franchise began
20 years ago with a dream of bringing hand crafted beer and fresh cuisine
together. The first restaurant opened in
1988 in Palo Alto, CA. In 1999, they
were acquired by Big River Brewing Company and spread worldwide! Of course,
since I am so young, this restaurant has no interest whatsoever to me, but hey!
In three weeks, I only got 1, 2, 3, 4 more years to try this out! Right?
Wait….what’d you say, mom? No? Oh, okay.
“WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?”
The Potomac River Running Store! The owners of all
four stores are all related by marriage or blood line. All four also ran track when they were in
track, and ¾ enjoyed successful careers in college also. These stores have made the top 50 running
stores in America 8 years in a row! They
also offer a program called Run With Us, which
is an opportunity for walkers and runners of all experience and levels. They
offer social marathons, so people can come out, run or walk and make new
friends!
“WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?”
Do you know
where President Lincoln was shot? The Ford Theater, of course! Not only was Lincoln shot here, but since the
1860s it’s been used for various stage performances as well. It dedicatedly
celebrates the legacy of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. It does this by exploring the American
experience through theater and education.
By serving as a working theater, world-class museum, and a historical
monument, this theater does it all in attempts to celebrate Lincoln’s ideals
and leadership principles modeled during his presidency.
“WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?”
Right across
the street! You know the story of how Lincoln died! He was shot in the theater
and moved right across the street to a bed in a row home where he took his last
breath. Did you know you can visit that
exact house today? Yesiree, you can! It’s called the Petersen House, and you
can take a tour here too! It even has the exact bed and sheets where Lincoln
died!
“WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?”
Madame
Tussauds’ Wax Museum! I wonder if my friend Dora and Boots are in there. They’re pretty famous, you know. This museum is exactly what it sounds like!
Realistic wax representations of famous figures! I’ve been there once, and let
me tell you, they looked so real that I dreamt that while I was taking a
picture with her, the wax figure Beyonce would actually be real, come to life,
and I would MEET QUEEN B. Honestly I had hope until I left. I was highly disappointed.
There are 6 different exhibits that stretch from the Presidents, to Civil
Rights Leaders, to celebrities and while some are more precise than others, the
figures are incredibly amazing.
FOREVER 21! I
know in my show I wear the same thing every episode, but it’s only because
producers weren’t trying to give me another outfit because we didn’t have the
funds! If we did have the funds, I have one thing to say and one thing only,
everything would come from Forever 21.
(Hey! I rhymed.)
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“WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?”
SMITHSONIAN
AMERICAN ART MUSEUM! Our last stop on this episode! We embarked upon two tours
while we were here. Thoroughly, we were
enlightened on famous people we know such as George Washington, John Brown, and
Abraham Lincoln, but we also heard of a few names that were not so
popular. I would like to take enlighten
you on one particular man that thoroughly fascinated me. His name was Ira Aldridge. He was a famous African American actor of his
day, and although he was born in New York, he did not make his career here.
Born July 24, 1807, he was the son of Lurona and Daniel Aldridge. As a teenager, his mom died, and he became
depressed and ran away from home by taking a ship to North Carolina. Well, while that doesn’t sound so much like a
bad idea now, it actually was. Look at
the time zone—1800s. What was going on in the South? Slavery, right. Although
someone offered the captain $500 for Ira, the captain refused and accompanied
him back to New York where Ira decided that he was going to move to Scotland in
1820 to get an education and pursue an acting career, a trade in which he was
always interested. He possessed so much
charisma on the stage that his first wife fell in love with him when she went
to see one of his shows, before she even met him! Although he performed in
English, which was not the native language of people in Europe, people
continued to enjoy his adept acting. He
toured all over the country with his incredible acting skills, and guess what?
After every performance, he would come out with a guitar, pass a hat, and
collect money that he would send back to the US to free slaves. He never forgot his trauma. This man
interested me because although he was a famous Shakespearean actor, who was so
famous, he was poorly credited for his accomplishments. I also respect the fact that although he
became famous and highly respected, he never lost sight of where he came
from. Powerfully, his heart always
pointed towards his roots.
WE DID IT! DADADADADADADADADADA! LO HICIMOS, WE DID IT!
This metro journey has come to
an end! What was your favorite part? .......................................................................... ................................................................................................ ................................................................................................ ...........................................................................I like that part too! My favorite part was “when you snagged that bad guy with your arm and kinda whiplashed him
into the other guy. It was so sweet! We totally aced those guys that tried to
kill us….. THAT WAS THE BEST VACATION EVER!”
Wait… that’s the Incredibles, not
Dora. I’m sorry, randomly spitting out lines from that movie is a well-known
habit of mine. Until next time, my loyal
readers!
