Photo credits: @noelchackphoto seen on @nacsphilly on Instagram
Before we begin:
The billionaire owners of the 76ers along with other supporters of sports, are trying to take over Chinatown in the city of Philadelphia. Huge amounts of donations have come through for the rebuilding of a new arena in the heart of Chinatown.
General Information:
The new arena is called 76 Place and is the combination of all the owners of the 76ers basketball team coming together to build this billion-dollar arena. They decided the location would be Chinatown which has caused outrage as it is a big cultural part of Philadelphia and the center for Asians (Americans) to come together and celebrate culture and enjoy one another. It is the home for many immigrants who have battled their way into a new city searching for new opportunities and jobs trying to give their children the life they wanted as kids. Chinatown is the home to many families in Philadelphia and people won’t just let billionaires dictate where they go just for a new arena to be built.
How we combat this and how:
New organizations have been formed due to the movement, such as SASA (Students Against Sixers Arena), which is an organization started at my high school (Central High School) by students, to spread awareness across Philadelphia about this movement and to unite one another.
One of the more popular organizations is NACS (No Arena in Chinatown Solidarity group). They have organized many protests and posters across the city including a 3500+ people protest marching along the streets of Philadelphia, with many speakers and people coming together to spread awareness.
So, why?
So, Why? Why is this important at all? Why should anyone in the city of Philadelphia or anywhere in the US care about this movement? The big picture of all of this is that we shouldn’t let big corporations and billionaires decide where we go. Families have been in Chinatown for decades and many generations have come and gone whether that was a short amount of time or long. Families feel safe in Chinatown and it has connected people every day and given unforgettable bonds. Many families have risked their lives coming here and we cannot just let that go away for a new arena.
How can I help?
There are many ways a resident in Philadelphia or even the U.S. can help. One way is signing petitions. If you are in Philly, there are tons of petitions online, and in person that just take a minute or two to fill out. Just by giving up those couple minutes you have helped the movement be even bigger. Setting up posters is another great way to spread awareness as well as social media posts and just spreading the word in general. The more people that know about this movement the better it is. One more person you tell this about, one more petition you sign, or social media post you make, you are contributing a big difference towards the movement even if you don’t know it.
Sources:
Save Chinatown. apipennsylvania.org/chinatown/.
Davis, Justin A. “Inside the Fight to Save Philly’s Chinatown from a New NBA Arena.” Waging Nonviolence, 17 Jan. 2024, wagingnonviolence.org/2024/01/inside-fight-to-save-phillys-chinatown/.
“Instagram.” Www.instagram.com, www.instagram.com/nacsphilly/?hl=en.
Comentarios