After struggling from economic decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, local leaders successfully debuted a night market in Oakland’s Chinatown to help promote tourism and local businesses.
On September 7, 2024, around 5,000 people filled two blocks of 8th Street in Oakland’s Chinatown for the city’s first-ever night market. During the action-packed night, visitors had the opportunity to taste various Asian foods and drinks, listen to live music, and even cheer for a basketball tournament featuring residents from multiple Asian countries. Notably, the market’s “Dumpling Olympics” drew large crowds as people lined the street to rank six different dumplings from around the world.
While this was a one-day event, its success did not come overnight. In fact, the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council (OCIC), who oversaw this event, stated that they prepared for the night market for five years as part of a larger revitalization project within Oakland’s Chinatown. For example, the ABG Art Group, one of OCIC’s collaborators, spent weeks painting murals and installing art to help beautify the neighborhood before the night market’s debut. These revitalization efforts came at the right time since the neighborhood’s businesses were severely hindered by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed nearly 900 local businesses.
Oakland’s Chinatown reflects a long-standing history of cultural and economic exchange between the US and Asia. Although Oakland’s Chinatown is not the largest or most well-known Chinatown in California or even the US, it is one of the oldest in the country. After a major earthquake destroyed most of San Francisco in 1906, many Asian immigrants moved to neighboring Oakland. Now, the neighborhood houses residents with roots from all over Asia, forty-five Asian-themed restaurants, nine tea shops, and several other attractions.
While Oakland’s Chinatown is known as a “working” Chinatown tailored to local workers and older residents, the night market sought to expand its reach. To dispel stereotypes and appeal to younger audiences, the OCIC hired various DJs and hip-hop artists, such as Chinese American DTrue. Following this successful debut, the night market’s organizers hope to expand this initial event into either a quarterly or monthly event. A regular occurring event could replicate the success of San Francisco Chinatown’s night market by increasing tourism, revitalizing the local economy, and inspiring new community events.
Daniel Salgado-Alvarez is a Fall 2024 Young Professional at the East-West Center. He is a recent graduate from Harvard University, where he studied sociology and East Asian studies.