When the COVID-19 pandemic surged across the globe, Chinatown was hit particularly hard. The outbreak was followed by an eruption of xenophobia causing a massive disruption in the lives of residents. As the world shut down, hate spread at a similar rate in the neighborhood. Businesses closed, tourism came to a halt and the community felt targeted from panicked induced racial biases.

The Advanced Multimedia class at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute spent 15 weeks researching and reporting in Manhattan’s Chinatown. This 332-acre neighborhood exists between the Lower East Side and East Village. It’s home to local family-owned businesses and has been a haven for Asian Americans since the 1870s. A shared culture endures from generation to generation.

Today, Chinatown is still trying to overcome the challenges brought on by COVID-19. In the face of adversity, the people and the businesses of this area continue to fight on in creative and innovative ways.

This is the Chinatown heartbeat.