A Night to Support Philadelphia's Chinatown

A celebration of Philly's Chinatown during Lunar New Year to welcome the Year of the Snake and raise funds for the community preservation efforts of Asian Americans United.

The inaugural event is set for February 3, 2025 and will be hosted by James Beard Award winner Ellen Yin at High Street Philadelphia. Food will be served at six stations, each with a featured chef from Chinatown including Emei’s Yongcheng Zhao, Vietnam Restuarant’s Benny Lai, and more. Tickets also come with a drink from sponsors Love City Brewing or Riboli Family Wines. There will be a full bar with cocktails available for purchase.

This unique culinary experience will be paired with talks from award-winning cookbook author and Chinatown activist Grace Young, community activist Debbie Wei, and the lead of the America’s Chinatowns initiative at the National Trust for Historic Preservation Di Gao.

‘A Night to Support Chinatown’ will fundraise for Asian Americans United through ticket sales (you can make a larger donation by purchasing a ‘Good Fortune’ ticket) and an online silent auction curated by Les Dames d'Escoffier which will feature rare prizes and exclusive experiences from the wider restaurant industry in Philadelphia.

This event is the culmination of a collaboration between leaders in Philadelphia's restaurant industry and local organizations including Les Dames d'Escoffier and RICE Philadelphia (Restaurant Industry for Chinatown’s Existence) to celebrate the unique food culture of Philadelphia’s Chinatown and to fundraise for its preservation.

About Asian Americans United

For more than three decades, Asian Americans United has worked in Philadelphia’s Asian American communities and in broader multiracial coalitions around quality education, youth leadership, anti-Asian violence, immigrant rights, neighborhood development, and folk arts and cultural preservation.

About Grace Young

Grace Young is an award-winning cookbook author and Chinatown activist. A 2023 Forbes 50 Over 50 honoree, she has received numerous accolades, including the Julia Child Award, the James Beard Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year Award and a USA Today Women of the Year honor for her work to save America’s Chinatowns. Dubbed the “accidental voice for Chinatown” by Grub Street, Grace’s advocacy has been highlighted by a variety of media outlets. Among those featuring her work are NBC, CBS Mornings, PBS Newshour, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, All Things Considered, Boston Globe, USA Today, Smithsonian and Vogue. Her accolades include three James Beard Awards and six IACP Awards, including the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award. She is currently partnering with the James Beard Foundation on the #SupportChinatowns social media campaign to raise public awareness to preserve and protect America’s Chinatowns.

About Di Gao

Di Gao leads the America’s Chinatowns initiative at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a program dedicated to supporting Chinatowns and other ethnic enclaves across the United States by mobilizing preservation action through research and convenings, grantmaking, and advocacy. With close ties to Chinatowns in Seattle and Manhattan, Di is passionate about protecting Chinatowns for future generations.

About Debbie Wei

Deborah Wei co-founded Asian Americans United in 1985 to organize low-income and working class Asian Americans; its victories include winning reform in the School District of Philadelphia for immigrant students and families, improving language access across the city, tenant and worker organizing, and stopping the construction of a stadium and a casino in Philadelphia Chinatown. She was a founder and founding principal of the Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures Charter School in Philadelphia’s Chinatown, which serves as a model for best practices in serving immigrant and refugee families and a founder of the annual Philadelphia Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival.

Event Sponsors & Organizers

Host or Publisher Asian Americans United