The Chinatown Blogger just read this May 22, 2009 [1] article written by Stephanie Fan and the Chinese Historical Society of New England (CHSNE) and published on the SAMPAN’s website. The article poses the question: “Why did the Chinese stay in Chinatown?” Many different European immigrant groups lived in the South Cove area along with Chinese immigrants, but why did the Chinese stay? These were the important points Fan and the Historical Society made:

- Due to restrictive immigration laws, Chinese immigrants were not allowed to bring their families over and Chinatown became a bachelor society. Fan argues that because of the bachelor society, the Chinatown community was needed to act as the family unit.
- Discrimination played a factor in preventing the Chinese from owning property outside of Chinatown.
- Immigration laws were relaxed in 1965 and more families eventually came to the U.S. But by then, the Chinatown community had been firmly established.

Check out the article at the SAMPAN’s website.