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Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
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Downtown SLO has kept the magic of their holiday lights installation alive by evolving their winter wonderland into a dual celebration of Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year. The Light Up Downtown initiative began in late 2020, when this California Main Street program in San Luis Obispo transformed a permanent open street at the heart of downtown into a winter lights display. This passive activation of the plaza was complete with a twinkling Santa’s House, light-up snowflake selfie stations, and tinsel flamingo sculptures donning Santa hats. The event was a hit; so much so that at the end of the holiday season, the community wanted more.
“People weren’t ready for it to go back to being a beautiful but plain plaza,” said Bettina Swigger, Executive Director of Downtown SLO.
The Main Street program partnered with Karson Butler Events, a local women-owned events management company, to pivot Light Up Downtown into a celebration of Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year. For Valentine’s Day, Downtown SLO is keeping the focus on supporting local with an installation called the Tunnel of Local Love: a glowing tunnel adorned with giant conversational hearts featuring messages such as “Local Love” and “SLO Strong.” In honor of Lunar New Year, red paper lanterns have been hung in the plaza, framed by draping red curtains and illuminated by lights.
“We wanted to have Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year together as a way of saying ‘We all love our community and love each other, and we can take better care of where we’ve come from,’” said Swigger.
In the 1800s, Chinese settlers played a key role in developing a young San Luis Obispo. Whether they immigrated from China to escape hardships caused by the Taiping Rebellion or in pursuit of the riches from the California gold rush, Chinese immigration boomed in California in the mid-1850s. Conveniently located between San Francisco and Los Angeles (key points of entry from China to California), San Luis Obispo quickly became a hub for the Central California Chinese community. This hub was so popular that, by the 1870s, papers and local maps referred to a one-block area in San Luis Obispo as “Chinatown.”1
It was these Chinese pioneers that established the first brick kiln in San Luis Obispo county, built the Southern Pacific Railroad, and ran a host of small businesses in the downtown commercial district. A plaque in present-day Chinatown further details the impact of the Chinese community: “As immigrants they faced prejudice and exclusionary laws, but rose above such obstacles to make major contributions to local commerce, agriculture and industries.”2
One major figure in this community was Ah Louis (Ah-Lou-e-e). In 1870, Ah Louis arrived in San Luis Obispo after spending time in the goldfields of California and Oregon. Initially working as a cook at the French Hotel in San Luis Obispo, Ah Louis founded a store four years later that would fulfill a myriad of needs for the local Chinese community: a grocery and general merchandise store, employment office, bank, post office, and pharmacy. From this position, Ah Louis became one of the best-known Chinese merchants in SLO’s Chinatown and acted as the area’s unofficial mayor.3
Upgraded from a wooden structure to a brick building in 1886, Ah Louis’s store still stands in SLO’s Chinatown district today. In fact, the current tenants of the Ah Louis Store are Karson Butler Events, the event management company working with Downtown SLO to pivot the Light Up Downtown initiative into a Chinese New Year celebration.
When the goldrush waned and the big railroad projects were completed, jobs were becoming scarcer. Hostility towards the Chinese community rose from the white working class, who felt the Chinese immigrants were taking away their jobs. A series of discriminatory laws and actions—at the local, state, and federal level—targeted the Chinese community. Chinese-owned businesses left the commercial district, and families moved out of San Luis Obispo.4 As a result, the lifeblood of SLO’s Chinatown is no longer.
“There’s a forgotten history of downtown’s Chinatown,” said Swigger. “We have architectural pieces of that history that exist… but it’s place-only.”
Today, the community of San Luis Obispo can remember this part of their town’s history by strolling around the Lunar New Year installation. Serendipitously, the Light Up Downtown event is not the only recognition of SLO’s Chinese American history happening this year: a large mosaic mural installed in Chinatown is getting a face-lift.
Installed in 1997, the last Year of the Ox, a giant mural of two Chinese characters—“Love” and “Double Joy”—was installed in commemoration of the City’s Chinese pioneers. According to the plaque commemorating the mosaic:
“The mural evokes images of Chinese-American history in San Luis Obispo County… The Chinese characters for “LOVE” and “DOUBLE JOY”, linked by a dragon, symbolize the duality of the immigrants’ experience: their love for the land of their birth and joy for their hopes in a new land. This message is still relevant to Chinese immigrants today.”5
Twenty-four years after its installation, the City is in the process of restoring the mural. Poetically, the work is scheduled to be wrapped up this year, the latest Year of the Ox.
While the mural is a beautiful nod to the impact of Chinese immigrants on San Luis Obispo’s history, Downtown SLO recognizes it can do a better job of honoring the legacy of Chinese Americans’ contributions to the town’s development.
“We need to make sure we’re not just forgetting a big part of the community that built our towns,” said Swigger. “Railroads were our highways and were built on the backs of a lot of Chinese immigrants.”
In the spirit of proactive intention setting, Downtown SLO placed a Wish Box in the plaza, where the community can draw or write their wishes for the new year. These wishes have been collected from January 1 through the beginning of the Chinese New Year. As of this writing, 85 wishes are displayed in Downtown SLO’s office window, a building two blocks away from Chinatown and all of its rich history.
As we enter the new year, may we all set the wish—the intention—to honor all the communities of people that built our towns. As Downtown SLO’s dual-holiday installation reminds us, let us remember that, “We love our community, we love each other, and we can take better care of where we came from.”
Downtown SLO thanks the City of San Luis Obispo for making the Light Up Downtown event possible. Learn more.
Photo credit: Downtown SLO
1. Parker, Dr. John. Archaeology of San Luis Obispo's Chinatown. http://www.wolfcreekarcheology.com/ChinaMain.html.
2. “‘Love’ and ‘Double Joy’ Historical Marker.” Historical Marker, June 16, 2016. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=52979.
3. HISTORY IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY Site created and maintained by Lynne Landwehr. https://www.historyinslocounty.org/Ah%20Louis%20Store.htm.
4. “The Chinese in 19th Century California - San Luis Obispo.” San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum. February 01, 2016. https://slorrm.com/2016/Notes_on_the_Chinese_2016-02-01.pdf.
5. “‘Love’ and ‘Double Joy’ Historical Marker.” Historical Marker, June 16, 2016. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=52979.
We gathered seven blogs and resources that uplift Black voices, dive into complicated histories, and provide strategies for deeper and more diverse community engagement.
February is Black History Month! © Fotowerks
Black Cultural Zone CEO Carolyn Johnson shares their new neighborhood development initiative, Rise East.
Diana Schwartz at River District Association shares the civil rights history of Danville, Virginia, and the ways that the community recognizes the past while creating a more inclusive future.
Main Street America is pleased to announce the launch of a $1.8 million sub-grant program as part of our partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Thriving Communities Program.
Beloit, Kansas © Shane Hampton
Erin Barnes spoke to Frances Jo Hamilton at Heritage Ohio about the importance of stepping up for our communities.
It is important to make sure that the growth of your community does not result in displacement or marginalization. Putting equity at the core of your transformation strategy helps you work towards measures of success that benefit everyone.
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
MSA President and CEO Erin Barnes explores how a holiday market in a public park brought a new focus on growing humanitarian needs in downtown city centers.
Learn how Main Street America's work with the DOT's Thriving Communities Program is supporting transformative efforts with community partners like the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
Learn how Pikeville Pride partners with Pikeville Main Street to fostering a welcoming and inclusive community in their rural Kentucky town.
May is Jewish American Heritage Month! We collected ideas and resources to help you explore Jewish American history on your community and work toward a more inclusive Main Street.
At Fort Vancouver in Vancouver, Washington, Native Hawaiians played a critical role in the success of the Hudson Bay Company. Today, Vancouver’s Hawaiian history and heritage plays a crucial role in efforts to reenergize the city’s historic downtown.
Urban Impact Inc., harnesses strategic investments and collaborative efforts to foster a vibrant and sustainable future, from visionary adaptive reuse ventures to transformative development grants for small businesses and property owners in Birmingham, Alabama's historic 4th Avenue Black Business District.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $20B in federal Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) awards distributed to eight national non-profit consortiums. Main Street America looks forward to partnership and engagement with awardees and local programs to identify projects and expand impact throughout our network.
Hillsboro, Oregon © Alicia Gallo
Main Street America Program Officer encourages communities to advance equity for women to grow a more inclusive Movement.
Learn how this Louisiana town has used an accessibility-first approach to build a welcoming and inclusive community.
Downtown Ruston, Louisiana. Photo by Henry McCoy.
Tasha Sams, Manager of Education Programs, shares highlights of phase one of the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (E3) in Rural Main Streets Program and the biggest takeaways from the workshop experiences.
In this video, learn more about the Williams’ family story, how the business is helping to revive downtown Helena, and the impact they’re having on a national level.
Learn how Main Street Now 2024 host city Birmingham, Alabama, is deepening their commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment.
© Mayor Randall Woodfin
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Derrick Braziel, owner of Pata Roja Taqueria and co-founder of MORTAR, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Learn how micromobility can increase access, equity, and inclusion in your Main Street with examples from local programs across the network.
Learn how Albany, Georgia, recognizes their civil rights legacy and supports the African American community today.
Celebrate this traditional Mexican holiday with Gardnerville, Nevada.
Gardnerville, NV © Main Street Gardnerville
Tasha Sams shared their experiences at this unique Appalachian cultural festival.
Learn how this community in Oklahoma celebrated Dia de la Independencia with a big festival.
Tulsa, OK © Kendall Whittier Main Street
Learn how Rio Grande City is building a welcoming and inclusive city for both Mexicans and Americans.
Rio Grande City, TX © Rio Grande City
Learn how the Little Santo Domingo neighborhood of Miami is working with the Truist Foundation to strengthen pathways to small business ownership.
© Allapattah CDC
Learn how this Massachusetts community uses their farmer's market to increase access to fresh food.
Every year, H2BE holds their Juneteenth Mobility Stroll and Roll in Dearborn, MI, which celebrates Black Americans and improves local connections. Learn more about the event and why Juneteenth is important to this community.
Dearborn, MI © H2BE
Do you want to support the next generation of Main Street leadership! Start a youth board! Learn how Historic Downtown Clinton set theirs up and how your organization can benefit from one.
The Main Street Movement is a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community. We spoke to Main Street leaders about how they support the LGBTQ+ community during Pride and beyond.
Steps you can take to engage your local Jewish community and make your Main Street feel welcoming for individual Jewish locals or visitors.
On May 9, the National Trust for Historic Preservation released its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2023 which included a cultural district located within a designated Main Street America community.
Miami, FL © NTHP
The annual Cinco de Mayo Parade and Fiesta in the Mexicantown Main Street district offers a great example of collaborative partnerships that honor the community’s cultural heritage and support local businesses through events.
Meet Kavi, the first Indian American Girl of the Year doll and a (fictional) resident of 2023 Great American Main Street Award winner Metuchen, New Jersey!
Metuchen, NJ © Lauren Beischer Photography
Community Development Block Grants are powerful tools for Main Street programs. Learn more about how CDBG's can be applied to our work and how you can advocate for the program
Main Street America was awarded $5.9 million to support 20 communities in the Main Streets Community of Practice through the Department of Transportation's Thriving Communities Program over the next two years.
We spoke to Debbie Ho, Executive Director at Chinatown Main Street, to learn about the history of women in Boston Chinatown.
Boston, MA © Kyle Klein
Meet the newest recipients of this grant program to build stronger, more prosperous small towns and rural communities
Learn the unique history of Folsom, New Mexico, and how they are working with New Mexico MainStreet today.
Learn how this community is honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and telling the stories of Black leaders in their community.
Dublin, GA © Visit Dublin GA
Learn about the City of Boston’s efforts to invest in economic equity.
Downtown Sheridan Association partners with the Crow Tribe to host the annual First People’s Pow Wow event during the WYO Rodeo Week.
We spoke to three women who were awarded Inclusive Backing grants to learn more about their passions, their businesses, and their advice for other women.
Wixom, MI © Carissa Serylo
Storytelling is a critical part of the placemaking work that we do in Main Street districts. But are we sharing every story equally?
Jonesborough, TN © Jay Huron
Main Street Franklin is leading the way in showing how women business owners can be a powerful force for change in their communities.
Anette Landeros, President and CEO of Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, shares the importance of supporting Hispanic business owners and communities.
#EquityRising, Old Algiers Main Street Corporation's new job training program, seeks to combat rising cost of living by helping residents train for careers that will allow them to stay in their neighborhood.
We spoke to three Black business owners who were awarded Backing Small Businesses grants from Main Street America and American Express to better understand their challenges, successes, and the kinds of support that have helped them the most.
Camden, AR © Kimberly Moore Davis
June is Pride Month. Learn how Erie, PA, Emporia, KS, Frederick, MD, Macon, GA, and Billings, MT, celebrated the LGBTQ+ community.
Erie, PA © Dave Tamulonis
Stockbridge Main Street has made significant strides in exploring and sharing the story of Martin Luther King, father of civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr.
Stockbridge, GA © Stockbridge Main Street
Juneteenth is the anniversary of the final emancipation of enslaved people in the US. Here are five examples of examples of community celebrations from Main Streets across the network.
Charles Town, WV © Elizabeth Ricketts
Learn how Downtown Florence has partnered with local Francis Marion University to provide opportunities for both students and local small businesses.
Learn about The Bottom, a historic African-American community in Thomasville, Georgia, and efforts to preserve it's history and share it's story.
Thomasville, GA © City of Thomasville
Learn how four Main Street communities celebrated Black History Month.
Oklahoma is home to the headquarters of nearly 40 federally recognized Native American tribes, and many of their offices, cultural sites, and museums are located close to or within Main Street districts.
El Reno, OK © El Reno Main Street
Kendall Whittier is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in an ever-diversifying Tulsa. Learn how they are making efforts to engage their large Hispanic community.
Tulsa, OK © Kendall Whittier Main Street
We spoke with two Black entrepreneurs in UrbanMain commercial districts: L. May Creations in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago and The Four Way in south Memphis, Tennessee.
Memphis, TN © Four Way
Heart of Biddeford shares the strategies they developed to support Black-owned businesses in their community.
Biddeford, ME © Heart of Biddeford
This May marked the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma. We explored the impact and legacy of this tragic event.
Tulsa, OK © Dr. Tiffany Crutcher
Main Street communities across the nation are celebrating Juneteenth, the oldest national commemoration of the ending of slavery in America and the nation’s newest federal holiday!
Learn about the various programs and initiatives that Fremont is using to promote inclusive economic development.
Fremont, CA © Fremont Economic Development
From small business owners to public artists to local leaders, join us this month to amplify the impact of the LGBTQ+ community in your Main Street district.
San Luis Obispo, CA © Downtown SLO
Brooksville Main Street’s Women Leading the Way Campaign celebrated the legacy of the trailblazing women who made history in their community.
Brooksville, FL © Brooksville Main Street
For Black History Month, we want to recognize and celebrate the Black business owners and entrepreneurs who have overcome challenges and obstacles in launching and running their own businesses, thanks to resilience, creativity, and hard work.
In remembrance and in honor of Dr. Marin Luther King Jr., over 900 streets in the United States were named after him. Many are located predominantly in African American communities.
Milwaukee, WI © Historic King Drive BID
Main Street programs around the Network have created engaging and COVID-safe ways to honor and celebrate the histories and lives of Black Americans in their commercial districts.
Meet some amazing women business owners!
Learn how the Allapattah Collaborative in Miami, Florida, implements a range of initiatives to expand equitable development and ensure current businesses can not only remain in the corridor but also flourish.
Read the results of our survey aimed at understanding how business owners are managing the recovery from COVID-19 and responding to recent protests and social unrest related to police violence against Black Americans.
Our research team dug into some of the data about the state of Black-owned businesses on Main Street, the structural challenges they face, and how Main Streets can support them.
Since 2013, Try This West Virginia has sought to improve health environments in local communities as a collaboration of organizations working together to combat the health challenges facing West Virginians.
Supporting new and existing small businesses, and the entrepreneurs who run them, represents a vital aspect of the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhood business districts.
The Equitable Economic Development Fellowship is a two-year, one million-dollar effort funded by the Surdna Foundation and the Open Society Foundations to help equity, transparency, sustainability and community engagement become driving forces in local economic development efforts.
The Zuni Pueblo MainStreet is the nation's first (and so far, only) Native American Main Street community.
As part of the Edward Jones Placemaking on Main Challenge, Downtown Brattleboro created a pop-up, mobile mini-museum.
History and architecture play an active role in educating and immersing the next generation of preservationists in Le Mars. From museum visits, scavenger hunts, to "show and tell," involving the youth and senior communities is a priority for this Main Street.
Across the county, communities are embracing the arts as a catalyst for revitalization—of buildings, businesses, and local culture.
From walkability and transportation connectivity, to access to nature and availability of fresh food, place is inextricably linked to achieving positive health outcomes in rural America.
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
Main Street America is committed to helping build inclusive communities. Homelessness is an increasingly important issue facing Main Street communities big and small, urban and rural.
To understand the role that immigrant business owners play in Boston’s small business ecosystem, you need only to walk through any Boston Main Streets district.
New arrivals have made Shaw more diverse.
Preserving diverse populations, not just buildings.
