Connecticut's Unexpected Chinatowns

Thousands of workers in Manhattan’s Chinatown were laid off in the months following September 11, 2001. For many, Southeast Connecticut became their new home.

Twenty-three percent of workers in Chinatown—many in the garment and restaurant industries—became unemployed following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Temporary security measures made truck deliveries and parking south of Canal Street nearly impossible. Tourism declined. According to an Asian American Federation of New York report, more than 40 garment factories closed by the end of 2001, while a majority of restaurants reported losses between 30 and 70 percent. Between 2000 and 2010, Chinatown lost 8.7 percent of its population and 11,000 rent-controlled apartments.