Tour of WWII-Era Chinatown Brothels Is Disrespectful
There is much more to the story of Chinatown than a romp through a bygone era of sex work.
This is not a happy article for most Chinatown stakeholders.
The Chinatown area is rich in history far beyond the brief World War II era.
It has been the makai end of the royal Nuuanu Valley and home to royal retainers and the likes of Don Francisco de Marin, an entrepot for thousands of Hawaii immigrants, a thriving cultural and commercial area rich in family memories for many, home to more and older grassroots community organizations than you will find almost any place else, and home today to an estimated 10,000 residents.
Cherry picking this one brief and lurid era is crassly commercial and supremely disrespectful to Chinatown taken whole, both historically and today, to those trapped in sex work and trafficking, to thousands of Hawaii families who do not remember WWII so fondly, and to many area stakeholders currently working together to envision and brand a livable, unique, and authentic Chinatown community for the modern era.
Please, tell whole stories of the real Place that is Chinatown, and work with us, not against us!
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
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