You know, we don’t really need a casino….a rich guy could choose to cover the parking area and put some green space on the roof if he’s serious about the asphalt thing.
Meanwhile…
Youth organizer Yvonne Chen argues that the casino only exploits a community who have struggled for years to have their voices heard.
“Many Chinese people are already struggling with poverty in Flushing… gambling was a way for us to cope with our problems, family issues, mental health issues, trauma, financial situations and a loss of belonging of immigrants,” Chen said. “This casino can very well worsen this.”
American communities are their target demographics,” said youth organizer Boksun Park.
“So there are people out here openly stating that they’re willing to siphon money away from immigrant communities in order to line their own pockets. And we are standing by doing nothing.”
Another central concern of community members is displacement and gentrification, which has already disrupted the Asian heritage and low-income communities that reside in Flushing. Organizers say that the casino will only continue to raise rents, pricing locals out and forcing small businesses to shut down.
“The casino will only exploit our community’s poverty and mental health issues, issues that especially impact the immigrants in Flushing, as well as tear down the hard-earned livelihoods earned by our parents and elders,” said youth organizer Sophia Lin. (via ASAM News)
