A tale of two cities: Chinatown in L.A.

Chinatown in Los Angeles is a tale of two cities: old and new.

The first Chinese immigrants, mostly men, traveled to California to join the Gold Rush of 1849, or to build the railways branching out across the country.

Many of them didn't make enough money to get back to China, and spent the rest of their lives in the United States in the city's first Chinatown.

The second Chinatown was created out of necessity rather than choice. Many Chinese immigrants were kicked out of their homes to make way for the construction of Union Station.

Chinatown was once a bustling hub of nightlife. Today, it is a ghost of its former self. Despite this, many of its residents don't want to see the area gentrified for fear that their community will lose its identity. But others are worried that it will become unlivable as more and more attractions move away.

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Video by Cindy Martin based in Los Angeles, the United States.