InterIm’s Corner: A glimpse of work done by InterIm CDA in Chinatown/International District
This is a photo essay of some of the recent work done by InterIm CDA, including through their housing services programming, WILD programming and civic engagement programming. This content was sponsored by InterIm CDA.
InterIm's Corner: WILD creates documentary film about the fear of displacement in CID among residents
By Andrea Say
On June 27th, Interim CDA’s Wilderness Inner City Leadership Development (WILD) youth program hosted a mini-documentary screening called People vs. Profit: The Truth about Displacement. Around 45 people attended the screening, hosted at Gordon Hirabayshi Place in the Donnie Chin Community Room.
Attendees included various environmental and racial justice activists, residents of Gordon Hirabayashi Place and the Chinatown/International District (C/ID) concerned about development, youth and their families, and City Council District 2 candidate Tammy Morales.
The mini-documentary, an eight-minute film directed by youth, explores how displacement and gentrification are affecting C/ID residents, disproportionately impacting low-income Asian elders.
Attendees mingled together around the large food spread, which included dim sum donated by Joyale Seafood Restaurant. Sabrina Buparat, a recent graduate of Summit Sierra High School located in the C/ID, contextualized the mini-documentary. “We [youth at WILD] contribute to the development and safety of the Chinatown/International District. We have deep and informational discussions about problems in the community, including climate change, police brutality, and housing discrimination and how they are connected to racial and environmental justice.”
Kevin Choi, WILD member, introduced the film as the primary cinematographer and editor. He added, “We were inspired to make this documentary after learning about the history of displacement and how these new luxury developments will significantly change the culture and feel of the C/ID.”
Choi and other WILD youth referenced these developments in their speeches and in their film, which referenced Koda Condominiums. The specter of the Koda Condominium development loomed over the event, as Koda recently broke ground next door to Hirabayashi Place.
In the film, Henry Liu, community organizer at Interim CDA commented on luxury developers’ attitudes: “[The CID] is a landmark not based on the history and culture of the place, but its value in relation to the water and downtown.”
This attitude is reflected in Koda’s promotional material online, as they describe Koda’s location in the Chinatown/International District: “Just outside the windows of KODA rests the city’s waterfront: the point of entry for the area’s first settlers that residents now look back upon in aspiration. An astonishing view of this extraordinary expanse demonstrates that you’re truly in the center of it all.”
Throughout the event, a shared feeling hung in the air of trepidation and fear that the luxury developers will not change the C/ID in ways that help traditional C/ID residents: Asian elders, low-income people, and recent immigrants.
Zhu Huang, C/ID resident and elder, spoke about her fears about displacement in the film: “others are younger, work, and have money. They’re not scared if prices rise… but us elders don’t have any jobs. The government gives us hundreds monthly, but hundreds isn’t enough.”
Elders in this community lack the money and resources to have access to new market-rate developments in the C/ID like Koda condominiums, where $400,000-$600,000 is the range for a one-bedroom, which prices them out of new, affordable developments like Thai Binh, which cost $1,168 a month for a one-bedroom.
Reflecting on the event and the program, WILD participant Edgiemeh Dela Cruz stated, “Our research and mini-documentary focused on the C/ID, but displacement is more than just a neighborhood problem. Displacement of communities of color will continue as the city grows and gentrifies, but that doesn’t mean that we [young leaders] will back down. In fact, the future of anti-displacement activism in the C/ID will continue through the WILD program at Interim CDA.”
This content is sponsored by InterIm CDA.
Meet Our 2018-2019 WILD Fellows!
The WILD Fellowship was created in order to provide a culturally-responsive, experiential leadership development program for youth ages 16-18. The purpose of the program is for youth to learn more about Asian Pacific American (APA) history, process current events, and ultimately make a positive impact on the Chinatown-International District. In addition to learning how to facilitate and lead groups of peers (and elders), Fellows develop advocacy skills, learn about local APA activism and movements, plan outdoor trips, and work together on a community-based environmental justice project. Upon completion of the program, Fellows are then qualified to move on as WILD interns.
This year, the Fellows chose to help construct a retaining wall in InterIm CDA's Danny Woo Community Garden to benefit our elders who garden there. They will also be painting an art mural with an environmental justice focus for the Children’s Garden toolshed. Meet our 2019 Fellows:
An Vu is a recent graduate of Summit Sierra High School.
" I like to eat, play League of Legends and sleep. I will be studying at the University of Washington this fall with the focus of getting a degree in Bioengineering."
Anqi Li is a sophomore at Franklin high school. She’s full Chinese and knows four Chinese dialects.
“I joined wild because I wanted to learn more about my community and what’s happening in the CID because I’ve always been in the CID (mostly because of food and drinks..., and I want to make some positive impact to our community.”
Calvin is a recent graduate of Garfield High School.
"I like sad music, but WILD helped me be happier. I am a recent graduate of Garfield High School and will be going to University of Washinton- go Huskies!"
Darius Wade is a Sophomore at Cleveland STEM High School. He is half Black, half Lao and Thai.
"I joined the WILD fellowship to get a good experience with helping the community in Chinatown. I also wanted to get more information on the displacement not ONLY happening in Chinatown but in the Soufend as well. I loved the opportunities we had to further help Chinatown out."
Edgiemeh Dela Cruz is a recent graduate of Summit Sierra. She is Filipino.
"I joined WILD because I wanted to feel more connected to a community that I was going to be in the majority of my time. In this years fellowship, the highlight is actually the times when we just have random out spurts of laughter which made us bond so much more."
Haben Fasil is a junior at Franklin High School.
"I am an Eritrean. I’ve been in the WILD program for two years now."
Justin Chau is at Cleveland High School. He is also known as JC.
"I am 16 years old and my birthday is Oct 7th. I hate coconuts."
Kevin Choi is a recent graduate of Garfield High School and is Chinese.
“The WILD Fellowship has surprisingly been something I always look forward to every week. We explore real and relevant social issues, but we actually do something about it for our community. I’ll miss each and every person I’ve met here, like a lot.”
Natalie is a recent graduate. She is at the University of Washington.
"I was initially in the Cooking Club then I joined WILD’s Fellowship Program!"
Sabrina S. Buparat is a recent graduate of Summit Sierra High School and is Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Hmong. She takes part in teaching in a traditional Lao music and dance foundation.
“I joined the WILD Fellowship because I wanted to learn and contribute to my community in the Chinatown/ International District. While doing so, I learned so much more about the CID than I knew existed, and not only was I able to connect and understand more about the community, I also gained skills in leadership.”
Zhuo Rong (Andy) Ruan Zhao, and was born in Colombia, Bogota.
"I am a friendly person, positive energy, quiet, humble, hard-working person. "
WILD Holiday Party
Event Details
What: WILD Holiday Party
When: December 14, 2018; 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Where: Joyale Seafood Restaurant (900 S Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104)
Ticket: $15 per person
For ticketing questions, email Pinky Gupta, pgupta@interimcda.org or call 206 624 1802 x 31
We hope to see you at the event!
2014 Bridge Conference High Flier Award
InterIm CDA received a High Flier Award at the 2014 Bridge Conference for achieving a high bar of quality in our Wilderness Inner-City Leadership Development: WILD youth program! We are grateful to the Raikes Foundation and the School's Out Washington program for providing leadership training through the YPQI program.
Congratulations to Jamie Stroble and Glen Jermyn Andag.
Please see ypqiwa.org for more on the Youth Program Quality Initiative.
WILD Youth at Lunar New Year
Students in the Wilderness Inner-City Leadership Development (WILD) program engaged visitors to their booth at the 2014 Lunar New Year Celebration in Hing Hay Park. They instructed young and old alike in making paper lanterns, while explaining coming changes to the park in the heart of the Chinatown - International District.
