This article summarizes a Guardian article about ongoing gentrification in Flushing, Queens. It discusses how developers have invested in Flushing for years, constructing luxury condominiums and high-rises that have made the area more "upscale" and displaced long-time immigrant residents and small businesses. As affordable grocery stores and restaurants close, growing income inequality is apparent. Activists are trying to fight the trends leading to rising costs of living and antisocial attitudes among some wealthier residents, but decoupling luxury development from affordable housing will require a mass movement to carve out space for all to live in Flushing.

1. ThisGuardian article (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/13/flushing-queens-
gentrification-luxury-developments) bySarahNgu,publishedThursday,August13,2020, is invaluable
mediacoverage onFlushing’songoinggentrification.It’srequiredreadingforanybodywhocaresabout
affordable housing—notonlywithinacommunityinQueens butanyurbanarea.
Developershave,foralongtime,pouredcashintoFlushing. The Guardian piece mentions F&TGroup,
Young NianGroup,and UnitedConstructionandDevelopmentGroup—all unitedwithinthe consortium
FWRA LLC. Theyunleashedaprocessof gentrification,encompassingwaterfrontdevelopmentaswell as
the constructionof luxurycondominiums.Nottomention evermore prominenthighrises.If youwalk
throughFlushing’scommercial district,you’dgetthe sense ithasbecome more “upscale.”That’s
gentrification.The classdimensionsof the processare all too apparent.AsFlushingbecomesmore
“developed,”the wealthygainatthe expense of workingpeople.AsNguwrites:
The influx of transnationalcapitaland rise of luxury developmentsin Flushing hasdisplaced longtime
immigrantresidentsand small businessowners,aswell asdisrupted its cultural and culinary landscape.
These changesfollowthefamiliar script of gentrification,butwith a changeof actors:it is Chinese
American developersand wealthy Chineseimmigrantswho are gentrifying thisworking-class
neighborhood,which ismajorityChinese.
As youcan guess,gentrificationhasalsotakenitstoll onsmall businesseslike family-runrestaurants.A
poignantexample fromthe article isTomandAnnie Lin’sMainStreetImperial TaiwaneseGourmet.
Accordingto Annie Lin,rental andmortgage costsinFlushing“doubledandtripledoverthe years.” The
result:Small businessescannotbe financiallysustainable.Theycan’toperate. Indeed,Ngugives
examples:
Notonly aremom-and-pop restaurantsclosing down,butaffordablegrocery storeshavestarted to
shutteras well, including Assi Plaza in 2014, which Byeon visited frequently with friends; MetFood,
which closed in 2015 (a luxury condominiumispoised to take its place);and Great Wall Supermarketin
2018.
Growingincome andwealthdividesbecome more apparentandsocial attitudesreflectthose
inequalities.AccordingtoYingYu Situ,whoNgu quotes:
For somewealthierChinese people,they honestly feel like being pooris a crime [….] Like it’s something
to be ashamed of and getrid of.
Activistsandorganizerslike Seonae ByeonandBobbyNathanare tryingto fightagainstthe trendsthat
leadto suchantisocial attitudes.Ngu,towardthe article’send,notesthatFlushingresidentswantmore
publicinvestmentratherthanprivate andlaysoutthe struggle ahead:
To decoupleluxury developmentand affordablehousing in orderto obtain genuinely publicgoodswill
require a massmovementmobilizing first-generationand second-generation immigrantsfromall
backgrounds.Timewill tell if the organizerscan build enough momentumto notjustsoften the
oncoming waveof development,butto carveouta permanently livablespaceforall who call Flushing
home.
ReferencingDavidHarvey, the righttothe city isparamount.