China Overseas Chinese Network, September 23. According to the US "World Journal" report, under the epidemic, there is still a new generation of Chinese Americans who are willing to find a "new home" in the "old Chinatown", and are defying challenges in the face of the epidemic and looking for new ones. Ideas, lead the community to seek survival and development.

　　"As long as you spend 45 yuan (USD, the same below) in any store in Chinatown, you can get a free haircut here." The owner of Pell St. 12, Liang Jiahao, said that since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia in New York, Chinatown Of small businesses have suffered severely.

As a new generation of Chinese entrepreneurs, he and several partners who founded this barber shop together want to contribute to the revitalization of the community economy.

"Chinatown is my home" Prepare for a protracted battle against the epidemic

　　The 29-year-old Liang Jiahao has been living in a small apartment in Chinatown with his parents and grandmother since he was a child. Even though his parents have moved out, he still insists on living here.

"Chinatown is my home, in the streets and alleys, I can find the way with my eyes closed." Liang Jiahao said that from the beginning of the epidemic to the present, he is not only a witness, but also a witness.

　　In mid-March, when the city government announced the suspension of business operations, Liang Jiahao and several partners were extremely anxious. “It’s like groping in a dark tunnel without seeing any light.” He said that barbershops need peace. The personal care industry that guests have close contact with must be prepared for a protracted battle against the epidemic in the next two to three years.

　　They hand-made isolation panels, made advance appointments, customers measured their body temperature before entering the store, large and small bottles of dry hand soap were placed at the door and on the bar, and the worksheet for regular cleaning was marked with the name of the person in charge of the day.

　　With the suspension of the epidemic, and before the restart of the third phase, everyone at No. 12 Disclosure Street is ready to welcome the crowds of customers.

Liang Jiahao said that there were indeed many appointments in the first three weeks, but they began to gradually decrease. This is not only the situation at 12 Pell St., but also the epitome of the entire Chinatown today.

　　Liang Jiahao said that after one store collapses, you will see other stores also collapse. In addition to the old neighbors who lived here or once lived here, how can more people return to Chinatown and become 12 Disclosure Street Several young partners discussed the key points.

　　"In this community, we are not independent businesses. Only by supporting each other can we tide over the difficulties." So Liang Jiahao and his partners Xu Qirong and Lin Lifeng hit it off and thought, "As long as you spend 45 yuan in Chinatown, you can get one free transaction. Send” idea.

Don’t forget your original intention: Turn 12 Disclosure Street into a community space

　　Like most Chinese children, Liang Jiahao's biggest wish is to be the pride of his parents. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City. Before opening the store in 2018, he worked as a CPA for six years.

　　"I have always believed that going to a special high school and later getting a certified public accountant certificate is one of the few remarkable things in my life." He is making his parents happy and pursuing what he wants to do. Hesitated for a long time.

　　Liang Jiahao's father was a barber when he first immigrated to the United States, and he earned 25 cents from his hair.

When his son chose to open a barber shop in Chinatown, he invited his father to visit, “He touched the chair in the shop, and then said to me,'This is a high-end product.' He is a knowledgeable person.” Liang Jiahao laughed, and his father always When you come to Chinatown for tea, you will visit the shop and proudly say to your friends, "This is my son's shop."

　　With these expectations and their own dreams, even under the worst hit by the epidemic this year, Liang Jiahao and his partners still have hope. Their original intention was to make 12 Disclosure Street a "community space", not just as a haircut. The store is also used as a venue for events to attract more young people to Chinatown and break the stereotype of the aging community.

　　Liang Jiahao, Xu Qirong and Lin Lifeng are business partners and good brothers. They are all Chinese young men who grew up in New York. Xu Qirong's career as a hairdresser started in the basement of his mother's house.

The three said, "In fact, like the older generation, we have a small business of our own to call friends and connect with each other in our leisure time."

　　"It is not necessary to define whether the current situation is good or bad. Everything is just advancing with the times, and all we can do is to find the rhythm and direction in this advancing torrent." Liang Jiahao said, rejuvenating with the community and becoming The new goal of this store.

　　From amateur to professional, from the mother’s basement to the physical store team, a "new team" composed of a few young people in the "old community" led the community's economic recovery in the epidemic.

In this "hometown" where the immigrants became a "foreign country", it has now become a place where these young people want to radiate light and heat.

(Reporter Zhang Chen)