New York 2044: Betty Yu
Reported from the imagination of artist, filmmaker, educator and activist, Betty Yu.
Scroll to the bottom to see Betty’s real estate coming of age story in comic form.
CHINATOWN’S “JAILING GIANT” FALLS
Hunger Strike Forces Closure, Ushers in Supportive Housing
New York, NY – June 4, 2044 – Inmates at the infamous Chinatown jail, nicknamed the “jailscraper” for its imposing height, have won a major victory after a month-long hunger strike. The city has agreed to permanently close the facility and convert it into supportive housing.
Read MoreThe strike, which began on May 1st, shed light on the facility’s dire conditions. “It looked nice from the outside,” said Tyree, one of the hunger strikers, “but inside, it was hell.” Inmates reported inadequate heating and air conditioning, with private contractors replacing staff with malfunctioning robots for food service and basic checks. Meals were often skipped, leaving inmates hungry and frustrated.
This win comes after years of resistance. Black and Asian activist groups, both inside and outside the prison system, have tirelessly protested the jail’s existence since its construction. Last year, a more radical faction within these groups even managed to free three members and hack into the NYPD’s computer system, highlighting the jail’s vulnerabilities.
“The jailscraper has been a thorn in our side for too long,” confided an anonymous city official. Veteran activist Betty Yu sees a deeper connection. “Our fight against the city’s displacement of working-class residents is the same as the fight against this jail,” she argues. “Both are fueled by the same developers and government profiting off oppression and incarceration.” Yu believes this victory demonstrates the power of abolition – not just ending incarceration, but freeing up resources to support vulnerable communities.
Mayor Jones’ plan for the converted facility includes supportive housing for individuals struggling with addiction, mental health challenges, the elderly, and those experiencing homelessness. This decision signifies a shift in priorities, moving away from incarceration and towards providing much-needed social services.
Betty’s Story
Betty’s real estate coming of age story in comic form, by Noah Fischer.
Betty Yu is an award winning socially engaged multimedia artist, photographer, filmmaker, educator, and activist born and raised in NYC to Chinese immigrant parents. Yu integrates documentary film, installation, new media platforms, and community-infused approaches into her practice. Ms. Yu’s documentary “Resilience” about her garment worker mother fighting sweatshop conditions screened at national and international film festivals including the Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival. Yu’s multi-media installation, “The Garment Worker” was featured at Tribeca Film Institute’s Interactive Showcase. In 2020, she worked with housing activists create “Resistance in Progress” a multi-media installation featured at Queens Museum. Betty recently had her first solo exhibition, “(DIs)Placed in Sunset Park” at Open Source Gallery in September 2018 in New York City. This work was also included in 2019 BRIC’s Biennial. In 2015, Yu co-founded Chinatown Art Brigade, a cultural collective using art to advance anti-gentrification organizing.