Weekend Flash

CHINABLOCK CULTURAL CENTER: Long gone are DC's old Italian and Jewish neighborhoods in downtown. Yet the Chinese community, buttressed by an active chop-suey trade, hangs on. Barely.

Too strengthen their hand, Chinese leaders opened a community/cultural center with much fanfare. Mayor Williams attended. "The goal of the center is to promote cultural literacy and enrichment among locals and tourists alike — all part of an effort to enhance the unique character of Chinatown," says the advisory.

If there were actually even a modest Chinese community in DC, this would be a great development. But the whole affair conjures images of the little dutch boy hopelessly holding his finger in the dyke because a leak sprang up. It's only a matter of time before the dyke breaks.

Over the years, DC Bubble has witnessed how Chinablock, storefont-by-storefont, has been whittled by Texas BBQ joints, the MCI/Verizon Center and the voracious Starbucks empire.

While DC Bubble salutes efforts to add diversity and depth to DC culture, one politely has to ask: "Whats the point here?" An underutilized bit of space preaching how important its message is.

A better use of the money would have been to, say, prop up Da Hua the now extinct market across H Street where one could buy 30 varieties of tea, hoisen sauce and all things "Asian." Or how about enough space for a single Chinese family to live in?

pix by racingsquirrel