Chinatown is shrinking, as anyone who’s seen all the shuttered storefronts along H Street, Northwest, has noticed. Many of the longtime Chinese businesses have closed, and American chains have moved in, serving burgers or coffee beneath neon signs stamped with Chinese translations. Most recently, Full Kee Restaurant and Gao Ya Hair Salon closed as developers moved forward with plans to build a Marriott hotel on the lot. Many residents have been priced out of the once-­bustling neighborhood, which was home to about 3,000 Chinese residents in 2010. Now that number is closer to 350.

But while DC’s Chinatown feels much diminished, residents and business owners still consider the area a place of connection and culture that’s worth protecting. About ten AAPI-owned small businesses remain, wea

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