How Toronto’s Chinatown is fighting back against development that threatens its existence
Young Asian-Canadians in Toronto are trying to keep its Chinatown’s heritage alive as downtown development and real estate speculation rise
Chinatowns are often portrayed as gritty underworlds riddled with prostitution, gambling and drug trafficking. Some of this is rooted in truth, but that unfair depiction is largely the result of rampant xenophobia and cultural ignorance, especially in the West.
For three decades, Sky Dragon Chinese Restaurant has been serving dim sum in the heart of Toronto’s Chinatown. Since May 2022, it has also played host to Queens of Dim Sum (QoDS), a series of drag brunches where Asian performers serve not food but looks as they weave between trolleys laden with char siu bao, spring rolls and more.
An old-school Chinese banquet hall may not be an obvious setting for a drag brunch, but for co-founders Ryan Tran and Sum Wong, being visibly queer in a culturally Asian space is the point.
“I’ve seen how big the Asian queer community is [from] working 10 years with Asian Community Aids Services, yet people tell me they don’t know where others are beyond DJ Sumation’s AsianXpress” says Tran, referencing Wong’s stage name and his past club nights.
The duo approached Sky Dragon at the tail end of the Covid-19 pandemic when business was slow, unsure of how accepting the staff would be.
“We just told them we’d have loud music and performances,” Tran says. “They were shocked, but in a good way. Even the cooks ran out to see what was going on.”