Pao Arts Center sits on a historically significant piece of land, Parcel 24, where hundreds of Chinatown residents were displaced in the 1960s in order to build a highway on-ramp. In 2016, Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC) developed Parcel 24 into 66 Hudson Street, which includes affordable housing as well as space intended for community and public use. In collaboration with Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC), the idea for an arts and cultural hub was born.

In partnership with BHCC, BCNC opened Pao Arts Center in 2017 to be Chinatown’s first arts center and Boston’s newly dedicated Asian American and Asian immigrant cultural space. The opening was made possible by numerous supporters including Eleanor and Frank Pao, Barr Foundation, ArtPlace America, and Liberty Mutual Insurance.

The redevelopment of this land as a place to celebrate and explore Asian culture represents a powerful shift towards community oriented development in the face of rapid change. The preservation of Chinatown’s rich history has been a shared effort across many community groups.

History Firsthand: If Hudson Street Could Talk

Cynthia Yee and her mother in April 1962, before the demolition of Hudson Street. — Cynthia Yee and her friend’s brother in April 1962, before the demolition of Hudson Street.

Cynthia Yee is an artist, writer, educator, and Pao Arts Center supporter. Her stories of coming of age in the Boston Chinatown community at the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act are a resource for artists, journalists, university students, and academics interested in Chinese American history. Click here for the stories.

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