The Well-being of Low-income, Monolingual- Chinese Senior Residents: The Impact of Disinvestment and Gentrification in Vancouver’s Chinatown

by Sophie Ellen Fung B.A. (Geography), University of British Columbia, 2012

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Urban Studies

in the Urban Studies Program Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

 Sophie Ellen Fung 2016 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Summer 2016

Approval

Name: Sophie Ellen Fung Degree: Master of Urban Studies Title: The Well-being of Low-income, Monolingual-Chinese Senior Residents: The Impact of Disinvestment and Gentrification in Vancouver’s Chinatown Examining Committee: Chair: Meg Holden Associate Professor, Urban Studies and Geography

Karen Ferguson Senior Supervisor Professor Urban Studies and History

Peter V. Hall Supervisor Professor, Urban Studies

Mary Clare Zak External Examiner Managing Director, Social Policy and Project Division, City of Vancouver

Date Defended/Approved: June 27, 2016

ii

Ethics Statement

iii

Abstract

This study asks: how has Chinatown’s disinvestment and gentrification impacted the well- being of low-income, monolingual-Chinese senior residents? Vancouver’s Chinatown has undergone rapid neighbourhood change, yet the experiences of its marginalized residents are largely unknown. Using the City of Vancouver’s Healthy City Strategy as a framework for well-being, I interviewed twelve non-English speaking, low-income seniors who live in Chinatown. I found that while some revitalization projects of the 1990s added value to residents’ lives, the addition of trendy, high-end boutiques, cafes and restaurants over the last five years have negatively affected the seniors’ quality of life. Despite these harmful impacts, Chinatown continues to be an important neighbourhood for the well-being of low- income, elderly Chinese-only speaking residents. The neighbourhood’s existing social and physical infrastructure, along with culturally and linguistically appropriate services and goods require protection from gentrification to ensure vulnerable residents can thrive in the community.

Keywords: commercial disinvestment; gentrification; Chinatown; well-being; Chinese seniors

iv

Dedication

To my mother and grandmother for their constant love and support. I also dedicate this thesis to my late father. 這篇論文謹獻給我的父母和外婆.

v

Acknowledgements

I wish to acknowledge the residents and members of the Chinese associations who took time out of their busy schedules to participate in my study. A heartfelt thank you to the seniors who warmly welcomed me into their homes.

A special thank you to my supervisor Karen Ferguson for fueling my interest in topics related to equity in cities. I’m also grateful for the high standard, confidence and enthusiasm you have had in my work throughout the program. That being said, any errors in this project are my own.

I would also like to acknowledge the Urban Studies faculty for the knowledge you shared with me. The learnings from your classes have been invaluable to this research project. I also wish to thank Prof. Meg Holden for giving me numerous professional development opportunities as a research assistant. Thank you to Terri Evans who helped me navigate the administrative system throughout the years.

I also wish to thank my Urban Studies colleagues. You friendship, unwavering support and stimulating discussions about cities has thoroughly enriched my graduate experience.

I owe thanks to friends who helped edit and provided input to various versions of this paper.

Last, I would like to thank my family, friends and my partner for their encouragement throughout the program and writing process.

vi

Table of Contents

Approval ...... ii Ethics Statement ...... iii Abstract ...... iv Dedication .