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From YouTube: Councilmember Gym Honors Mabel Chan 2-13-2020
Description
From the Stated Meeting of Philadelphia City Council held Thursday, February 13, 2020:
Councilmember Helen Gym (At Large) led a presentation honoring Mabel "Chi" Chan and her lasting legacy and contributions to the Philadelphia community.
Read the resolution: https://phila.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4326345&GUID=9B174603-25E9-4DAD-B84E-7AB145E851D9&Options=ID|Text|&Search=200122
A
A
B
You
everybody
good
morning,
if
you
know
Philadelphia,
and
especially
if
you
know
Philadelphia
Chinatown,
there's
no
name
more
synonymous
with
a
history
of
chinese-american
philadelphians
in
the
city
than
Mabel
chi-chan.
We
are
honored
today
to
honor
Mabel
and
her
lasting
legacy
and
contributions
to
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
Mabel
came
here
many
decades
ago
with
a
dream
and
a
vision
for
a
vibrant,
diverse
City.
She
landed
in
the
city
of
Liberty
and
she
definitely
made
it
a
place
where
all
people
could
could
be
here
and
thrive.
B
Her
her
home,
her,
the
restaurant
that
she
had
helped
run
for
decades
on
end
was
Joyce
and
Lau,
and
it
was
often
not
only
a
place
where
there
were
celebrations
and
weddings
and
places
of
birthday
parties
and
honorees
and
Lunar
New
Year
celebration
that
you
can't
even
imagine
where
the
food
was
boundless
and
for
many
immigrant
communities
who
often
felt
that
they
had
to
create
home.
They
found
it
in
Mabel's,
restaurant
at
Joyce
and
Lau.
B
It
was
a
place
where
people
could
gather
could
tell
stories,
could
laugh,
could
remember
and
and
gain
enough
strength
to
build
for
the
day's
beyond,
and
it
wasn't
just
a
place
that
Mabel
had
for
the
Chinese
community
and
the
Chinese
American
community
in
Philadelphia.
It
was
a
bigger
gathering
place
for
politics
to
talk
about
the
future
of
what
the
city
could
look
like
with
integrated
with
a
vibrant
immigrant
community
that
was
diversifying
and
growing
even
within
the
asian-american
community.
B
B
She
supported
folk
arts,
locally
keeping
cultural
traditions
alive
for
immigrant
communities
that
don't
that
aren't
able
to
see
it
necessarily
on
big
stages.
She
made
sure
that
she
supported
organizations
across
the
city
that
reminded
us
of
our
folk
traditions
and
for
so
many
communities,
asian-american
and
others,
but
many
who
feel
that
their
voices
may
not
be
reflected
in
mainstream
culture.
She
reminded
us
of
what
it
means
to
have
elders
who
tell
us
stories
that
we're
not
going
to
always
read
in
every
book.
She
taught
us
songs
that
we
aren't
gonna
hear
on
popular
radio.
B
She
remind
us
of
mythologies
and
folk
tales
that
put
people
who
looked
like
her
and
many
others
as
superheroes
with
superpowers,
who
could
overcome
the
odds
and
for
that
this
community
honors
you
and
thanks
you
from
the
bottom
of
our
heart
on
city
council.
So
with
that
we'll
start
and
I'm
so
honored
to
have
so
many
members
to
see
council
supporting
this.
So
this
resolution
honors
Mabel
Cheech
Han
and
her
lasting
legacy
and
contributions
to
the
Philadelphia
community,
whereas
Mabel
Chan
was
born
in
1957
in
Fujian
Province
China.
D
Whereas
during
this
time,
miss
Chan
had
severe
appendant
Isis
appendicitis
and
was
deemed
by
doctors
as
unsavable
at
the
time
miss
Chan
wanted
to
become
a
monk
after
being
exposed
to
Buddhist
philosophies.
After
surviving
appendicitis,
miss
Chang
decided
she
would
dedicate
her
life
to
doing
good
deeds
and.
F
Whereas
three
years
later,
miss
Chan
with
the
support
and
blessings
from
her
father,
took
over
the
management
of
her
father's
restaurant,
miss
Chan
worked
early
mornings
and
late
nights,
which
allowed
her
to
learn
essential
management
skills
for
her
future
and
whereas
miss
Chan
and
a
family
longed
to
move
to
Chinatown.
A
noticeably
underdeveloped
neighborhood,
given
its
proximity
to
center
city
with
a
Chan
family
could
find
a
community
whose
members
spoke
their
language
of
Cantonese.
F
E
Whereas
Joyce
and
Lau
officially
opened
on
October
25th
1983
and
became
a
monumental
success
that
influenced
business
and
investment
in
the
Chinatown
community,
the
restaurant
is
record
as
aiding
the
Chinatown
community
to
secure
its
economic
footing.
In
Philadelphia,
the
eatery
attracted
a
host
of
well-known
figures
from
the
Philadelphia
community,
such
as
ed
Rendell,
Mike
stack,
Bob,
ready
and
Tom
fuglie
Otto
and.
G
And
whereas
Joyce
in
law
has
always
been
more
than
a
mere
restaurant
venue
for
miss
Chan,
miss
Chan
operated,
Joyce
in-law
as
a
place
for
community
cultivation
cultivation
for
individuals
who
do
not
have
a
sense
of
belonging
anywhere
else
in
the
city
due
to
language
and
cultural
barriers.
This
commitment
has
made
miss
Chan
known
as
a
second
sister
in
the
Chinatown
community.
H
Whereas
miss
Chen
established
a
long-standing
commitment
to
our
community
for
years,
the
restaurant
was
a
stable
source
of
employment
for
many
students
who
worked
part
time
at
the
restaurant
and
were
provided
housing
on
a
fourth
floor
of
the
building.
Miss
Chan
also
donates
her
restaurants,
profit
to
elderly
centers
in
Chinatown,
where
she
also
performs
traditional
Chinese
opera
and
serves
bento
boxes
to
elders,
in
addition
to
miss
Chan's.
In
addition,
miss
Chan
began
a
transition
of
an
annual
Channel
Chinatown
Independence
Day
celebration
banquet
and
brought
the
community
members
together
to
participate
in
a
parade
and.
I
She
is
definitely
a
class
act
when
you
think
of
judith
von
zelich
in
the
business
community,
joan
for
juice.
Key
of
the
northeast
marian
Tasco
of
the
city.
Miss
Chan
is
that
in
Chinatown
there
is
not
a
conversation
where
she
is
not
navigating
or
at
the
center
of
or
moving
forward,
and
we
thank
you
for
that.
As
a
woman,
I
appreciate
the
role
that
you
play
in
your
community,
whereas
mrs.
D
And
not
to
wanna
echo,
the
sentiments
of
my
colleagues
I've,
had
the
opportunity
to
dine
and
interact
with
his
neighbors
in
several
different
sounds
at
a
restaurant
in
Chinatown
for
the
day
of
truly
honor
and
honor
and
a
pleasure,
whereas
mr.
Chan
is
a
trailblazer
and
our
community
and
became
the
first
female
president
of
the
Chinese
Benevolent
Association
and
in
2007
was
appointed
as
a
chairwoman
of
the
association's
board,
which
made
a
tremendous
which
made
tremendous
contributions
of
service
to
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
B
Mabel
chance
story
is
that
of
many
philadelphians,
a
narrative
of
people
who
choose
to
call
the
city
home
and
dedicate
their
lives
to
improving
their
neighborhoods
through
strong
communities.
Her
lasting
legacy
is
deeply
intertwined
in
the
history
of
Philadelphia
and
that
of
Chinatown.
So
now,
therefore,
be
it
resolved
that
the
Council
of
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
honors,
Mabel
chi-chan
and
her
legacy
and
contributions
to
the
city.
Thank
you.
J
Turn
again,
Romanick
gotta
get
killed
in
sodium
mortgage
sonya,
going
batty
boy,
canyon,
ego,
Tiana
and
Gosselin
a
dega
yo.
My
mom
made
a
quoting
quite
a
don't
turn
my.
It
was
something
geez
you
so
I.
Oh,
we
could
ith
order
to
NATO.
Dna
day
they
went
1aq
Buckeye
football,
hey
mama,
let
I
got
who
giggity
fine
go.
They
get.
What
I
give
icing
Jonah
Jonah
come
home,
come
tumble.