The area Chinatown occupies has always been an immigrant, working-class community, driven by the proximity of labor and transportation. Originally an Irish community, it later became a predominantly Syrian-Lebanese community that was also home to Jewish and West-African-Barbadian immigrants. This video features recollections of these bygone communities, commentary on the factors that shaped them and accounts by first generation Asian Americans who grew up as the neighborhood transitioned into a largely Chinese and Chinese-American community. This video is a part of a series of educational videos. Please visit http://chinatownbanquet.org/ for more information or http://www.youtube.com/asiancdcorg to view the rest of the videos.