Lack of Respect - Citizen Blames City of Riverside and Press-Enterprise Newspaper on Community Fight to Save Historic Chinatown Site

When his Letter to the Editor was edited before it was printed in the newspaper, longtime Riverside resident Jim Glenn decided to set things straight.

March 6, 2009 - Riverside, California

Riverside resident Jim Glenn wrote a letter supporting the community fight to save the historic Riverside Chinatown site and sent it to the editor of the Press-Enterprise Newspaper, the local newspaper in Riverside, California.

His letter was edited before it was printed in the newspaper and he's angry and wants to set things straight.

Here are his personal comments to Judy Lee, one of the organizers of the Riverside SaveOurChinatown.org which are reprinted here with permission:

J. Glenn Comments on his Letter to the Editor, Sat. 2/28/09 Press Enterprise

Date: Tue 3 Mar PST 2009
From: Jim Glenn
Subject: RE: Letter to the Editor

To: Judy Lee

Hi Judy,

Thanks for the e-mail! You already know how I feel about what's happening
with the Chinatown project. The developer was plainly, and blatantly out of
line, so I couldn't keep my mouth shut after reading the articles about what
happened culminating in Scott's article. I really don't think our city
leaders really care about preserving the Chinatown location.

I'm very angry with the Press-Enterprise. They changed some of the words in
the letter I originally sent to them. In the original I referred to George
Wong as "Mr. Wong" to show him the proper respect. The newspaper changed it
to "Wong". Since my name is attached to the letter that was printed, it
makes me sound disrespectful to him. So it seems the Press-Enterprise shows
the same lack of respect that the City of Riverside does. Below is what I
wrote and sent to the newspaper:

After reading the stories recently concerning the project the City of
Riverside is undertaking for a new office building on the site of the old
Chinatown and the shenanigans of the developer at the site using heavy
equipment over the Valentine's Day weekend I must lend my voice in support
of the Save Our Chinatown Committee.

As a Riverside native, I have a great interest in Riverside's Chinatown. My
father moved to Riverside in 1913, at the age of five. As a boy, he had a
paper route down through Chinatown. My father became friends with George
Wong, the last resident of Chinatown. Mr. Wong would invite my father and my
uncle over and make Chinese food for them. When I was a boy, I met Mr. Wong
when my family was in a local grocery store. I remember Mr. Wong and my
father warmly greeting each other.

With the push by the City of Riverside for "Diversity" to place an office
building on this historical site is total hypocrisy! The old Chinatown site
should be made into a cultural center dedicated to the preservation of the
legacy and contributions of the Chinese to Riverside's history.

Jim

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Your Views - 02/28

10:41 PM PST on Friday, February 27, 2009

Save Chinese legacy

After reading about Riverside's plan for a new office building on the site of the old Chinatown, plus the shenanigans of the developer at the site over Valentine's Day weekend, I must lend my voice in support of the Save Our Chinatown Committee.

As a Riverside native, I have a great interest in Riverside's Chinatown. My father moved to Riverside in 1913, at age 5. As a boy, he had a paper route through Chinatown. My father became friends with George Wong, the last resident of Chinatown.

Wong would invite my father and my uncle over and make Chinese food for them. When I was a boy, I met Wong when my family was in a local grocery store. I remember my father and him warmly greeting each other.

If the city cares about diversity, then placing an office building on this historical site would amount to hypocrisy!

The old Chinatown site should be made into a cultural center dedicated to honoring the contributions of the Chinese to Riverside's history.

JIM GLENN

Riverside

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