Day 294: Chinatown, Providence, Rhode Island
📌 APIA Every Day (294) - Providence’s Historic Chinatown was a small but significant immigrant community located in the downtown area near Empire and Westminster Streets. Established in the late 19th century, this enclave emerged as Chinese immigrants, many of whom had initially arrived in the United States to work on the railroads and in mining, moved eastward in search of new opportunities and escape harsh racial violence. Providence, a thriving industrial city at the time, attracted Chinese laborers who found work in laundries, restaurants, and small businesses. Unlike larger Chinatowns in cities like San Francisco, New York, and Boston, Providence’s Chinatown remained relatively small, but it served as an essential hub for Chinese immigrants in Rhode Island and the surrounding New England region.
The history of Chinatown in Providence reflects broader patterns of Chinese immigration and exclusion in the United States. The first Chinese immigrants began settling in the city during the 1880s, despite growing anti-Chinese sentiment and restrictive immigration laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The community developed a network of businesses, social organizations, and mutual aid societies that provided support to residents facing discrimination and economic hardship. However, by the early 20th century, Chinatown began to decline due to increasing legal restrictions, racial hostility, and urban development projects that displaced Chinese-owned businesses. By the mid-20th century, much of Providence’s Chinatown had disappeared, with its former residents dispersing to other areas or assimilating into the broader population.
Although Providence’s Chinatown is no longer a distinct neighborhood, its historical significance remains. It was one of the earliest Chinese communities in New England, contributing to the region’s cultural and economic diversity. The Chinese-American presence in Providence helped shape the city's culinary landscape, introducing Chinese cuisine to Rhode Islanders long before it became mainstream in American culture.
The alleyway between Empire and Walnut Street in downtown Providence is the only infrastructure to remain from the former Chinatown neighborhood. Today, efforts to recognize and preserve the history of Providence’s Chinatown continue, with universities, artists, and community organizations spearheading creative public history initiatives that restore this overlooked chapter in Providence’s immigrant history. Given that Providence Chinatown history has largely been forgotten, how might historic preservation practices expand to include Asian histories where, instead of officially designated Chinatowns, small, dispersed Chinese communities existed and contributed to local economies and culture?
Written by Billy Zeng
LEARN MORE:
The Brown Daily Herald: Explore Providence's Chinatown
RI Chinese History: Providence's Chinatown
AAPI History Museum: What was Providence’s Chinatown like?
#apiaeveryday #chinese #chineseamerican #chinatown #providence #rhodeisland #newengland #railroadlaborers #antichinese #1882chineseexclusionact #ethnicneighborhood
