During the 1950s, Montreal Chinatown faced a large wave of  immigration as consequence of family reunification since the implementation of the 1923 Exclusion Act. Though most Chinese immigrants settled within the Chinatown area prior to the 1950s, "entrepreneurs, business people, and middle-class families now arriving in Montréal had the means to look beyond Chinatown and settle in other Montréal neighbourhoods" (Paré, 2017a). Discrimination and racism began to slowly subside, and as consequence, incoming Chinese immigrants felt less worried of facing difficulty integrating into Montreal society beyond the safe hub of Chinatown. Evidently, this led to a shift in the social identity of Chinatown. From the 1950s, it was no longer primarily a residental space, but rather, became a symbol of tourism and Chinese culture (Paré, 2017a). 

Around the same timeframe, in the early 60s, major renovation and and renewal initiatives were proposed for Montreal's Chinatown by the City of Montreal. According to the Encyclopedie du MEM, these urban renewal projects severely encroached upon significant Chinatown establishmnents, and "plans for such large-scale projects as Complexe Guy-Favreau, the Ville-Marie Expressway, and the Palais des congrès called for the demolition of Pagoda Park, three Chinese churches, a number of ethnic businesses, and an entire residential sector" (Paré, 2017a). Community forces against this encroachment, especially in the late 80s, ultimately managed to preserve remaining areas of Chinatown - and numerous revitalization projects, installations, tourism increase, and official labels of heritage upon the Chinatown region have maintained Chinatown as it is seen today (Paré, 2017a).