Retooling Chinatown : networked ethnic enclaves in Costa Rica

Abstract

The thesis is focused on the unique characteristics of Chinatowns in Latin America. I am interested in understanding chinatown as a third cultural enclave in Latin American societies, within the context of a postcolonial hybrid culture in order to develop a new redevelopment model for Chinatown. I did the research starting from the worldwide Chinatown historical development and found out the basic existence situation of Chinatown for five different continents. I also analysised the Chinese migration tendency and Latin American vital historical events in the three representative periods and figured out the connection between Chinese people, Chinatown and these Latin American countries. The research was followed by a series of case studies to show the different types of Chinatown currently. My site is located in San Jose, Costa Rica, where a multi-racial society has existed for a long time. The importance of San Jose Chinatown was reflected after 1985, with the establishment of economy reform policy, attracting both foreign investment and foreigners. Chinatown has become one of tourist destinations after eco-tourism became the nation's leading industry in 2000. Due to the increasing amounts of foreign visitors, San Jose government has realized the its potential tourism value and planned urban renewal strategies in 2012 in order to stimulate the city's cultural tourism. However, the outcome was unsuccessful, San Jose government rebuilt it as a generic commercial street, and tourists did not think there is anything worth buying. Merchants in Chinatown complained the revival did not bring more business opportunities while local people criticized the fake Chinese style architecture is too close to a national historical site. The thesis is focused on solving the new developing model for San Jose Chinatown by taking advatage of Costa Rican eco-tourism. Making it as the experiment place for other Chinatowns and cultural encalves. I would like to show my gratitude to thesis advisor Dorothy Tang, who gave me much useful and inspired advice, from which made me gradually understand how to build the thesis logic sequence and do research methodology of the topic. I also appreciate my group mumbers: Edward and Leanne and the group discussion form of talking about our three different thesis topics and determining the developing directions, which provided a opportunity for all of us to stand at an advisor's perspective to give our suggestions.