Chinatowns Everywhere Are Suffering. But in Oakland, a New Generation Has Answers.
Those close ties may be why Oakland Chinatown, while significantly affected by the pandemic, may be able to weather the economic crisis better than Chinatowns in other cities. In fact, multi-generational businesses like Finnie’s market, passed down from parents or grandparents, say that immediate post-pandemic sales are at least as strong as before. Chinatown’s support of the Black Lives Matter protests that flowed through Oakland in May also show how intertwined the neighborhood feels with the broader city.