In a September NY Times article horrifically titled, General Tso’s Shopping Spree, Faith Hope Consolo, the chairman of retail leasing and sales for Prudential Douglas Elliman calls Chinatown the “last frontier.”

That is a frightening statement to hear for any resident of Chinatown and anyone who holds dear to their heart the compact Asian American community of NYC. This is a community that has survived threats of gentrification from both Soho and NYU housings for decades.

But now high-end boutiques like Project No.8 and LeeLush, that carry items priced in the hundreds are invading Chinatown, and according to Consolo, plenty more are on their way. One cannot blame these small business owners for looking at affordable real estate, especially during America’s current financial crisis. However, in these modern terms, it is not too much to ask for even small business owners to exercise some critical thought and recognize the social implications of their actions.

The fact is high-end boutiques are purchasing real estate and introducing a lifestyle into a neighborhood where the majority of the current residents cannot afford to enjoy it. Chinatown thrives on an industry that consists of very low wages and cash-only transactions to avoid taxation. Through this industry, thousands of immigrants lacking English skills can find employment.

This is of course not a picture perfect system and hardly a desirable one, but due to the lack of social reforms focused on aiding this community, many rely and will continue to rely on these jobs provided by the community in order to survive.

Ruth La Ferla’s NY Times article briefly mentions gentrification in the article’s opening paragraph and then completely ignores the topic and the detrimental effects it will have on the community.

Instead, Ferla provides a series of quotes about how these new businesses are bringing about beneficial change and will allow the neighborhood to “blossom”. So aside from equating Chinatown with a westernized take-out dish, the article lacks the commonsense to know that the knickknack shops that currently give the neighborhood this exotic appeal - which the article labels as "indie" – will eventually lead to their being bought out by the high-end businesses that are attracted to open shop there.

Boutique owner Erna Leon is quoted in the article as calling Chinatown “a very underground, indie thing, and for me that is perfect." Yes, to anyone selling a hundred dollar dress, a poor, ethnic neighborhood can appear exotic and indie and therefore the perfect backdrop for their chic boutique. One may say that these businesses are drawing in customers for themselves and the neighborhood stores, however, the reality will be that more businesses will replace the existing Chinatown stores to cater to the newer and wealthier group of consumers.

The preservation of Chinatown is not only necessary for the livelihood of the members of the community, but also for NYC tourism. Thousands flock each year to Chinatown to explore the various shops and experience the richness of the culture, from dim sum to $5 pashmina scarves. It is highly doubtful that tourists will continue to visit and take photos outside a boutique that sells $200 jeans.

Perhaps, Chinatown will be left unscathed and continue to provide a sense of home and community for the Asian American immigrants of NY—just with a few less shops. Or, it is on its way to becoming the next Williamsburg, completely devoid of culture except the one manufactured and sold by the new residents - I shiver at the thought of such an end result.

Click here to read Ferla's original article.