美国华人社区演变中的原真性困境——以旧金山湾区为例

The Dilemma of Authenticity in Chinatowns' Evolution in the United States Through the Case of San Francisco Bay Area

建构邻里社区文化特征是新城市主义的一个核心主张,而原真性是可持续社区的灵魂。试图从城市社会学和人类学视角出发来看待美国华人社区近年来在全球化与绅士化浪潮中受到的原真性挑战。以旧金山湾区四个不同的新老华人社区为例,通过实地访谈与调研等方式将其不同的原真性体验进行归纳分析,从中概括出原真性的挑战主要来自四个方面:移民与多元化社会、绅士化、当代生活方式以及人口老龄化。同时,探索可能的有效策略以保护与延续社区的原真性,启示后续的研究与实践,特别是当代中国的社区营造。

Cultivating neighborhoods＇ cultural identity is one salient program of New Urbanism, and authenticity is the soul of sustainable communities. This article, in the perspective of urban sociology and anthropology, attempts to identify the challenges to authenticity of Chinatowns in the United States in the recent wave of globalization and gentrification. Through the cases of four old and new Chinatowns in the San Francisco Bay Area, it summarizes and analyses the different experiences of authenticity through field surveys and interviews. Then, four determinants, which the challenges to authenticity are mainly from, are specified： immigration and the super-diverse society, gentrification, contemporary living styles and the aging population. The findings of this paper will enlighten future explorations into potent strategies for protecting and incubating communities＇ authenticity and further inspire following researches and practices which are relevant to the Chinese context.