Chinatown Oral History Project-Stop the Gondola

Connectopod™

Stop the Gondola

Malia Mahelona-Janilkarn, Caleb Leong, and Michelle Chiu, Teen Council members at the Los Angeles Public Library-Chinatown branch, interview community activists Phyllis Ling and Tany Ling from Stop the Gondola

LA Metro is letting a billionaire build an aerial gondola over the Chinatown neighborhood that research proves won’t reduce traffic or greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of $500 million dollars to the tax payers of LA. Stop the Gondola is advocating to let the voices of the Chinatown community be heard by the Metro Board and have a say in their own future.

Stop the Gondola represents a collective effort to oppose the development plans for the LA ART Gondola, championed by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. This proposed aerial transit initiative seeks to establish a connection between Union Station and Dodger Stadium, yet significant apprehensions surround its execution.

Learn more: https://www.stopthegondola.org

About the Teen Council

Since July 2022, these dedicated members of the Teen Council have spearheaded a grocery delivery program at the Chinatown Library, witnessing firsthand the harsh realities faced by the seniors they serve. These elders, living below the poverty line, confront the disruptive impacts of gentrification in Chinatown, jeopardizing their ability to remain in their homes. Driven by empathy, the teens have embraced the responsibility of documenting and sharing the personal narratives of these seniors, and advocating for the rights of the immigrant community

Producer: Betsy Foldes Meiman

Assistant Producer: Melissa Peruch