Border in Seattle

“It is very unfortunate that the Ave offers absolutely zero options for eating delicious Chinese food”, a statement that prompted my friends and I to head for Chinatown. Although hunger forced us out into the cold, rainy weather, and be cramped in a crowded bus for 20 minutes, our innate desire indeed exceeds any body mechanism. It’s interesting that not even the unappetizing food served at eleven 01 could compel us to overcome over laziness and travel more than a few miles for food. Going to Chinatown is worth our time and effort because one of word, RICE! People might ask, “Wouldn’t you get sick of it after eating it for every meal?” My answer, rice, like water, can be bland and flavorless, but it never gets old. It is important to us because it is a part of our culture and tradition.

In a sense, the Chinatown “wall” separates the Asian Americans way of life from the rest of Seattleites. It represents a way of preserving a culture. When you enter the big red giant gate with dragon designs on the sides, you will notice a change in the atmosphere. There are no longer big department stores and tall glass buildings, but rather little shops and open markets. The difference is very unique. Chinatown serves as a place for Asian Americans to escape to get authentic foods, to shop for obscure groceries, and ultimately to celebrate their identity. As Ladd would agree, “All cities’ buildings display their cultural traditions”. However, the Chinatown gate is different from the Berlin wall in many ways. Its purpose is not to block out people from outside of its borders, but rather maintain its culture by inviting people in to celebrate its presence.

This dividing line between Chinatown and the areas around it can be seen as permeable. It is not selective to who can enter and who cannot. The Chinatown gate is very noticeable and can be considered the “wall”. The set up of this wall is very unique. Its large structure and distinct designs offers a way for people to tell that there is a border and that they are definitely not just in a regular part of Seattle anymore. However, it is not a thick giant block of cement that prevents people from seeing the happenings on the other side. The Chinatown gate is welcoming and transparent.

I believe that this division in our city is very much a beneficial one. It provides many people a sense of their identity and it offers a way for “outsiders” to explore and learn about different ethnicities’ way of life. Walls do not have to be a way of forcing things to remain inside and blocking what’s outside; it can be a positive attribute to a city. Borders such as the one in Chinatown can offer unity rather than division. This might seem contradictory since many of us are used to thinking of borders as separating two places. However, borders do not define itself, the people around the border formulate its symbolism.