Chinanews.com, February 25th. According to the "Chicago Chinese Forum" report in the United States, recently, just as cases of new crown pneumonia occurred in the suburbs of Chicago in the United States, coupled with some negative publicity, business in the Chinese community declined, and robbery in Chinatown occurred The case of the shooting of two Chinese people worsened the concern over the security situation, causing a great shock to the local catering industry and causing heavy losses. Several heads of restaurants that usually do well in business say that business has fallen by almost half in the past two weeks, and some have even decreased by 80%.
In this case, what exactly does Chinatown Chinese Food Industry do, wait or die, or rise up to help itself? To this end, the U.S.-China Catering Industry Association (USCF) first launched the "I love Chinatwn" campaign to promote Chinatown, support businesses, and prosper the community. Hu Xiaojun, president of the American Chinese Food Association, said, "Our slogan is:" Family in Chinatown, we are united in heart, we can help each other and overcome the difficulties together. " We must unite forces from all sides to carry out Chinese food activities, so that everyone understands that Chinatown is generally safe, and Chinese food here is healthy, beneficial, and there should be no unnecessary panic.
At noon on February 23, local time, the "I Love Chinatown" event organized by the Office of the Representative of the State of Illinois Ma Jingyi, the Chicago Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and the US-China Catering Industry Federation was held at Chinatown Mingxuan. More than 150 Chinese and foreign people from the Midwestern United States enjoyed Chinese food and chanted the slogan "I love Chinatown" together and took photos in front of the signs at the event. Mrs. Ma Jingyi, the representative of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Patrick McShane, and Hu Xiaojun have spoken. They said that although there have been some outbreaks in the United States, the immediate public health risks facing the public as a whole are very low, and two patients in Greater Chicago have already Healed and quarantined.
More than 150 people actively participated in the February 23 event, of which almost half were local Americans. (“Chicago Chinese Forum” / Photo by David Zhang)
"We participate in this action to show our support for Chinatown, and we love Chinese food and culture," said Steve Ockman, a young American from the outskirts, and his girlfriend Patricia Simmer. Simo is a student at the University of Chicago School of Medicine. She said that we believe the Chinese government and people will be able to defeat the virus, and we are "shamed" by those who stigmatize China and Chinatown and spread rumors and panics.
The event on the 23rd was the second event of "I Love Chinatown". Hu Xiaojun said that the first show on February 12 was held in one of the most impacted restaurants in Chinatown, "Jianghu Barbecue", and was very successful. Mr. Hans Lu, the mayor of Chinatown, Mr. Ma Jingyi, and representatives from the overseas Chinese community gathered together and issued a strong voice of "Save Chinatown" and "Love Chinatown". "We engage in this kind of activity not only to make some businesses earn some money, but also to convey a belief that we must overcome the predicament, a positive energy, and to make the real Chinatown real through guests, the media and politicians. The situation spread away, "Hu Xiaojun said.
The ongoing "I Love Chinatown" operation has received attention from various quarters, and the effects are gradually showing. It is reported that Chicago Mayor Wright Ford is likely to participate in this event in the near future to show her support for the Chinatown community and business. Members of the US-China Catering Industry Association, which pioneered this action, are actively planning and carrying out this activity, and at the same time actively donating to support the people of Wuhan and Hubei in fighting the epidemic. (David Zhang)