Where is DC Chinatown?
Once a vibrant community for Chinese residents, less than 300 residents call DC Chinatown home today.
By Grace Lee
Laying Roots
The first documented DC Chinatown immigrant was in the 1850s, when the original location was along the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue. Due to construction of government buildings in the 1930s, residents moved to a new location: the DC Chinatown we know today.
A 1898 illustration of a corner of the original Chinatown, located off Pennsylvania Avenue. Source: 1882 Foundation
Where is Chinatown, literally?
Since the move in the 1930s, Chinatown now spans a few blocks, H and I Streets between 5th and 8th Streets.
Chinese Residents in DC
From the 1930s, DC's Chinese population grew with more restaurants, grocery stores, and laundries. At its peak growth in the 1950s, DC jumped from 656 people to 1825.
DC Chinese population continues to grow but slowly .
After 1950, gentrification, economic developments, and political stress lead to a drop off in growth.
Meanwhile, in DC Chinatown, the population drastically declines .
Opening of the Walter E. Convention Center and the shopping area, CityCenterDC contribute to further decline of Chinese population in DC Chinatown.
So, what happened?
After the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., riots erupted across the country. This caused another wave of Chinese residents to leave the district to go to the suburbs of Virginia and Maryland. This has been the trend ever since.
The graph on the right represents the Chinese population in 2020 in relation to DC. The width of the lines stemming from DC represent the size of population in that county.
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The population moved mostly to Montgomery County, MD and Fairfax County, VA.
Where did they go?
The Impact
Many have shuttered their doors to make way for new businesses. Currently there are 16 Chinese restaurants in DC Chinatown: 8 of them are "modern" where they opened after 2010 and the other 8 are considered more historic staples.
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Of the 47 restaurants in DC Chinatown, 31 are not Chinese.
What's Next
The diminishing Chinatown has left residences without proper resources to uphold the cultural fabric of the area. The last full-service Chinese grocery store closed its doors in 2005 (Da Hua Market). The nearest on is in Falls Church, VA. Current activism includes pushing for a new grocery store in the area for Chinese seniors.
Lessons Learned
While other cities have Chinatowns, DC Chinatown is a true case study as to the effects of displacement and gentrification on ethnic enclaves. In 2024, Philadelphia proposed a new 76ers stadium just blocks from their Chinatown.
Your Voice Matters
The proposed arena faced great backlash with many news sources citing DC Chinatown as an example of what could happen to Philadelphia. Overwhelming community activism ultimately led to the proposed arena to be scrapped.
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In DC Chinatown, organizations such as the 1882 Foundation, Save Chinatown Solidarity Network DC, and Chinatown Community Cultural Center, use their voice to protect and nurture the memory and history of the neighborhood.