Cultural Significance of Chinatown
Chinatown, a primarily Cantonese enclave, was established around the 1870’s. The community at the time of it’s establishment, was made up of mostly immigrant sailors and traders.
The reputation of Chinatown around the 1880’s was influenced by the passing of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. The narrative surrounding the neighborhood was that it was dominated by street fights and secret societies. This continued to escalate in the 1890’s where wealthy New Yorkers would tour Chinatown to seek opium dens and murder sites.
The Tombs
An integral part of Chinatown’s criminal history was
A basic timeline of Rikers Jail
In order to understand the circumstances in which the Chinatown Mega Jail are being constructed, the history of Rikers and its inhumane conditions needs to be shared.
Establishment in 1932
Located on Rikers Island in the East River, Rikers Jail was built by incarcerated laborers. It saw it’s first detainees in 1932.
First female jail
The first jail for women on Rikers was opened in 1971, which also housed LGBTQ+ detainees.
Rikers Peak Detainment
In the 1990s, Rikers saw around 24,000 detainees per day partly due to the height of the War on Drugs and broken windows policing.
Kaleif Browder Case
Amongst the numerous cases of inhumane treatment at Rikers, the Browder case caused an uproar and led to the #CLOSERikers campaign.
Rikers Closure
With the backing of former Mayor de Blasio, City Council passed a bill that would close Rikers by August 2027. As a result, borough based jails will be opening.
Rikers as a Green Energy Hub
With a bill introduced in 2021, once Rikers Jail is closed Rikers Island will be used to generate new energy for the city.
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