We are Chloe and Anna, second-generation Chinese Americans who met through tour guide training at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). From the dark origins of the Chinese Exclusion Act to the challenges that Chinese Americans continue to face in pursuit of the American Dream, we saw how prejudice and stigma often stemmed from a lack of knowledge and understanding. During the COVID-19 pandemic
, we saw how history often repeats itself. Xenophobia and misinformation decimated tourism in Chinatown and threatened the survival of aging residents and immigrant-owned small businesses. We co-founded Mott Street Girls (MSG) to make Chinese American history and culture more accessible to the public. Every weekend, we host the “Relive Life Under the Chinese Exclusion Act” tour in Manhattan's Chinatown. As tour guides, education served as our means to empower and enact change. By telling meaningful stories that bring Chinatown’s past and present to life, we help locals and tourists draw deeper connections to its culture and people. Amid the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, finding the commonalities between our diverse experiences is how we can close the cultural gap and build empathy. By hosting Chinatown walking tours, creating educational social media content, and partnering with community organizations, we strive to preserve Chinatown’s rich cultural heritage, bring business to the neighborhood, and share the stories of our community. We have featured the stories of over 60 Chinatown small businesses and raised over $18,000 for our community. We are a minority and women-owned business. Our walking tours have been featured on The Today Show, NBC New York, Fodor's Travel, Infatuation, Patch, Bon Appétit, World Journal, NY1, PIX11, Quickbooks, Culture Trip, The Hoboken Girl, and Currents News.
