From left: Michael Itti, Mayor Jenny Durkan, Tanya Woo and Chief Diaz at 12th Ave. S and Jackson (Photo: George Liu)
Since the Seattle Times editorial on December 3 announced that “Seattle and King Counties have abandoned Little Saigon”, social media has been on fire.
“Little Saigon is located a few blocks from 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street, full of trash cans, rubbish, dirty sidewalks and open-air drug dealing,” it wrote.
Although we are grateful for the new focus of Washington State’s largest circulation newspaper—for those of us who live and work in Chinatown’s International District (CID), this is old news. The area has a high crime rate, including robbery, theft, assault and gun violence. Walk around and you still see many businesses are blocked. CID needs help, especially because of the devastating effects of the pandemic on businesses and subsequent destruction by separatist groups during the “Black People’s Fate” protests.
The most recent time was in August, Northwest Asia Weekly interviewed Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz. He told us that thieves had been breaking into businesses and selling goods at the outdoor flea market in Jackson on the 12th. He told us that the market has come and gone, and now it appears to be rising.
Diaz said: “We have been conducting a community roll call with several police teams from CID, Little Saigon, 12th and Jackson, trying to resolve [situation]. “
The situation has not improved since then, and we feel as if our head is hitting the wall. In fact, “Little Saigon is a Seattle neighborhood that has been forgotten by the government.”
“Mayor Durkan and County Mayor Constantine represent this community. The same is true for Seattle City Councillors Kshama Sawant and Tammy Morales and County Councillor Girmay Zahilay. To everyone: It’s up to you,” the Seattle Times editorial board said. We should also add that the district where State Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos is located includes CID, a community supported by her late husband Bob Santos.
This community has contributed greatly to the city’s rich history, economic growth and diversity. However, CID has been a dumping ground for urban problems for a long time-problems that other “better” areas of the city have not dealt with.
City, county and state leaders: Are you listening? Maybe you can work together to create a solution. We have been ignored for so long. We are tired of public hearings and empty promises from elected officials. It’s time to talk less and do more.We need action now——Not in a few months, or, God bless, in a few years. We have been asking for many years, is anyone listening?
