business that closed: 42-year-old Hoy Wong, 40-year-old Mee Li Fruits and Vegetable, over-50-year-old Hop Shing, and 65-year-old WK. A bakery called Lung Moon closed in August, soon after they produced their last mooncakes. Those that remained open need to pay insurance, electricity, gas, water bill on time, or else risk being shut down and taking a year to reopen again. One restaurateur told her their water, gas, and electricity bills amounted to $8,000/month.
These mom-and-pop businesses closing could mean the end of New York’s Chinatown, a historic immigrant community. “If we don’t show up, these businesses are going to go out of business,” Young says. “And when the landlord can’t pay the mortgage or property tax, the landlord is going to lose his building and a developer could just walk in.” She began connecting with the different publications she wrote for in the past to get the word out about Chinatown hurting. In the Spring of 2020, Young received the James