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Public outcry at City Hall over proposal to name Chinatown subway stop after Rose Pak
Summary
Public testimony at the Oct. 4 Board of Supervisors meeting focused heavily on a proposed naming of the Central Subway’s Chinatown station for Rose Pak, with a string of Chinatown leaders and residents urging the board not to confer the honor amid allegations about Pak’s involvement in divisive political activity and ties to organizations with links to the Chinese government.
Dozens of residents and community leaders told the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 4 that naming the Central Subway Chinatown station after Rose Pak would politicize a public facility and would be inappropriate because of Pak’s role in numerous contentious local fights and her ties to organizations with links to the People’s Republic of China.
Speakers representing Chinatown institutions, community groups and religious organizations urged supervisors to reject any action to name the station after Pak. Comments ranged from personal recollections of Pak’s civic work to detailed allegations: several speakers said Pak had intervened in San Francisco politics on behalf of the PRC and against members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, and urged supervisors to consider that history before any naming decision.
A petition and letters from Chinese‑American community leaders was delivered to the board urging a different name for the Chinatown station and citing Dr. Sun Yat‑sen as an alternate civic figure suggested by other Chinatown leaders. Several speakers reminded the board that naming decisions should reflect civic values and be free of foreign political influence.
Public comment was often personal and emotional, with speakers asking supervisors to protect Chinatown’s reputation and public spaces. Supervisors did not vote on a naming change at the meeting; the item remained a source of public controversy and was the subject of extensive public testimony.
Why it matters: Station names can carry symbolic weight and are perceived as endorsements by the city. Opponents argued the Rose Pak proposal risked politicizing public transit and enabling outside influence; supporters or earlier advocates argue Pak was a major San Francisco civic actor who helped neighborhoods and civic institutions. The debate reflects broader tensions among San Francisco’s Chinese‑American communities, civic institutions and human‑rights advocates.
What the board said: Supervisors accepted public comment and noted the sensitivity of the issue; no action was taken at the Oct. 4 meeting. Several supervisors — including Supervisor Kim — said they would work to ensure that naming decisions were considered within broader land‑use and civic planning processes and that community input be respected.
