I used to live on Stanton St. close to Orchard. One night while walking home on one of the coldest night that winter I saw the Chinese collecting bottles as they always did. I was walking with my head down bc it's was so cold and I saw a woman of at least 55 wearing these sandal type shoes. I could see her thin black socks and unfortunately I didn't know any Chinese at the time, but I know on a cold dark night like that they definitely won't engage in conversation. This troubled me, seeing this, knowing the system and I realized the circumstances here after working in the heart of Chinatown. They are not addicts or alcoholics like down by Allen St. They are of the so called "lost generation" and are taught to be weary of all strangers. They fear deportation and many won't even take the free food and services available. This is the only group I've seen like this and it's heartbreaking. P.S. This memory really got me thinking why the American Chinese don't do some kind of outreach work for them. The Catholic churches have done so with the Central& south American immigrants that stayed past their visa or whatever. I was born in Colombia and came here as a baby and I could never see my blood out in the cold like that for food. When I lived in Brooklyn the Chinese used to go out at night in East N.Y.. collecting bottles too and they definitely don't live there.

Im Chinese too from a poor immigrant family. When I see old Chinese ladies or men collecting bottles I feel so bad I just get a $20 out of my pocket and give it to them. For me it’s spare change, but for them maybe they can skip the day and go home.