Chinatown Democratic Party’s 65th District leaders recently jointly released a proposed document titled “Chinatown Priorities and Policy Demands for 2026,” presenting multiple policy proposals to Mayor Mamdani and elected officials at the city, state, and federal levels. They called on the government to address the longstanding issues of deteriorating public safety, insufficient affordable housing, over-concentration of shelters in Chinatown, and imbalanced land use. The leaders urged elected officials to present concrete and actionable response plans within the coming year.
In a press conference held on February 2nd at East Broadway in Chinatown, District 65D leaders Yu Jinshan and Li Yanjuan, along with 65B leader Wang Di, emphasized that the proposed document was derived from the frontline experiences of residents, small business owners, laborers, and voters, reflecting years of accumulated yet unresolved structural challenges.
Yu Jinshan stated that the Chinese community has long been actively involved in public affairs but has often been overlooked at the policy level, primarily due to discrepancies in the government’s recognition of “who can represent the community.” While the city and state governments claim to have communicated with the community, the actual consultees may not receive widespread community approval, making it difficult for public opinion to effectively enter decision-making processes. He specifically mentioned the congestion pricing plan, pointing out that while the policy may benefit public transportation finances, it could impose a heavy burden on Chinatown residents and small businesses. With the gubernatorial election year approaching, they intend to seize the opportunity to submit a detailed report to the state government, demanding a reassessment of its substantive impacts on the community.
Wang Di, approaching from an internal party observation perspective, pointed out that when discussing the political trends of Chinese voters, the focus often lies on the strategy of “retrieving votes” while overlooking a more fundamental question—why, in a situation where the current federal policies are perceived as unfavorable to the community, are there still voters turning to support the Republican Party. He believes that if the city government continues to listen to minority voices and neglect mainstream voters, it will exacerbate the loss of trust. In response, he called for a return to the community’s “priority list,” which includes issues such as over-concentration of shelters, inadequate police force, ineffective law enforcement on Canal St, and the prison plan needing to provide substantial compensation and housing feedback. He also suggested a review of the long-standing low-density housing policy, advocating for increasing density at appropriate locations, introducing diverse housing models including affordable housing, to address actual needs.
Li Yanjuan added that despite several infrastructure and public commitment plans in Chinatown over the years, many projects have been repeatedly delayed under the excuses of “high costs” or “insufficient funds,” resulting in stagnation in community development plans. She emphasized that the three district leaders will collectively take responsibility, continuously track, urge, and drive forward relevant projects to ensure that promises are translated into tangible outcomes.