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3. “Peace and Prosperity Dwell among Virtuous Neighbors”: Chinatown’s Public Housing
- University of Minnesota Press
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97 three “Peace and Prosperity Dwell among Virtuous Neighbors” Chinatown’s Public Housing On October 21, 1951, Henry K. Wong, a Chinese American World War II veteran, his wife Alice, and their two children joined San Francisco mayor Elmer Robinson and his wife for a “housewarming tea.” The couples sat together in a new model apartment decorated with modern furniture and Chinese accessories.1 In accordance with Chinese tradition, the Wongs shared watermelon seeds, candied ginger , and coconut strips with the Robinsons, who in turn left a fifty-cent piece in a red paper talisman to celebrate the Wongs’ impending move into their new home: a two-bedroom apartment in Ping Yuen, the first federally subsidized housing project for low-income families in Chinatown . Selected as the “first family” of the public housing project by the San Francisco Housing Authority, the Wongs, as representatives of the new public housing tenants in Chinatown, participated in the housewarming ritual before joining the mayor in front of 5,000 San Franciscans gathered to celebrate the long-awaited opening of Ping Yuen.2 The jubilant crowd attending the dedication ceremony witnessed a fusion of traditional Chinese and Western elements, also evident in the building design, that reflected the underlying cooperation between Chinatown activists and the SFHA. Participants saw firecrackers lit to scare devils away and performers doing the lion dance for good luck, listened to melodies of “Chinatown, My Chinatown,” and at one point joined together in singing the U.S. national anthem.3 Serving as the master of ceremonies, Housing Commissioner Charles Jung welcomed Chairman of the Housing Authority E. N. Ayer, Chinatown Housing Committee Chairman Dr. Theodore C. Lee, and Mayor Robinson to speak.4 In his keynote address, Robinson praised Chinese Americans’ contributions to the city: “it is fitting that this most distinctive of Projects “Peace and Prosperity Dwell among Virtuous Neighbors” 98 should be dedicated here in San Francisco. The Chinese are among the earliest settlers to our City. They have contributed to our City’s life, culture, commerce and spiritual life for over 100 years.”5 After dedicating three buildings—Tung Ping Yuen (the eastern building), Sai Ping Yuen (the western building), and Chung Ping Yuen (the central building)— to “the little boys and girls who will be born here, who will grow up here in an atmosphere of health and happiness and the good will of all the citizens of San Francisco,” the mayor presented a golden key to the Wong family.6 Tenants, representatives from the Housing Authority, district neighbors, and members of Chinatown social service organizations came together to celebrate the realization of public housing in the overcrowded district. During the next five decades, the complex web of cooperation—and at times contestation—among these groups resulted Figure 14. The Wong family in the model Ping Yuen apartment, October 19, 1951. The SFHA selected Henry Wong, a World War II veteran, along with his wife and two children, as the “first family” of Ping Yuen for a photo op in which they celebrated Ping Yuen’s dedication with San Francisco mayor Elmer Robinson. San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library. [52.90.227.42] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 14:50 GMT) “Peace and Prosperity Dwell among Virtuous Neighbors” 99 in Ping Yuen’s ongoing success as a stable and engaged public housing community. The festivities surrounding the opening of Ping Yuen highlight the uniqueness of the development: over 5,000 people showed up to celebrate the completion of 234 public housing units with Chineseinspired architectural details. In contrast to the uproar over the construction of Valencia Gardens by Mission District residents, Ping Yuen had the support of residents in the Chinatown district, local housing officials, and the federal government, and received resounding praise in the local, national, and international press. The San Francisco Chronicle lauded the $3.5 million project as “America’s most distinctive set of low-cost apartments.”7 Before the dedication, the Journal of Housing hailed Ping Yuen as “the only public housing project in the country Figure 15. Ping Yuen dedication, October 21, 1951. Over 5,000 people came out to celebrate the opening of public housing in Chinatown. San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library. “Peace and Prosperity Dwell among Virtuous Neighbors” 100 with discernable Oriental architectural design” and “one of the few projects to receive the unanimous endorsement of all city groups, however divergent their politics.”8 SFHA officials boasted about the national and international acclaim garnered...