Do you have a personal connection with Chinatown? Can you share any favorite memories?
Viveca: Yeah, so for me, it’s language. Cantonese is, unfortunately, becoming a lost language because it’s not really a language that could be taught. If you ask me, “What are the nine tones in Cantonese?” I’d be like, “I’ve absolutely no idea.” But I am a native speaker. So, it’s something that is passed down. Because my parents are in Hong Kong, I am here alone with my husband. We’re both from Hong Kong, but whenever I missed home, I really went to Chinatown to listen to people talk. I know this sounds silly, but it’s just like your body remembers, and that’s kind of why I love going to Chinatown. The lady by the Grand Street Station where she sells the glutinous rice wraps — she yells at the top of her lungs, and that unlocks so many different memories to my own culture and what it means to me. So really, it’s home, and I spend so much time down there because I just feel so comfortable. And when I’m down there, I feel so proudly represented, and the community is so strong there. One time I passed out in Chinatown because of a medical condition. And literally, I opened my eyes, and all I remember was a swarm of grandpas and grandmas coming toward me and taking care of me. If I had to encapsulate Chinatown in one feeling, it would be that.
BuzzFeed: It’s like the modern-day version of that phrase: It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a village to truly make things work.
Viveca: Yes, and it speaks so strongly to community as well. We can’t function in this world without community or a good support system. And even for me, I have so many stories of being supported by people that don’t even know me. And that is honestly the magic of New York City in general, but I feel that so apparently in Chinatown.
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