Chinatown By: Jocelyn, Rachel, Imaan, & Rosalinda

How to get there – Train/ L: – Get on at the Loyola Red Line – Take the redline inbound toward 95 th – Get off at Cermak- Chinatown

History – First Chinese immigrants settled in the 1870s – Began after the end of the transcontinental railroad (which had an 80% Chinese workforce), then many Chinese families started dispersing around the mid-west and east United States – Anti-Chinese Sentiment in West Coast was what drew most of the Chinese population away because of the discrimination and violence they faced (many anti-Chinese riots in San Francisco and Los Angeles) – Many came to Chicago, first official census report, Chinese could be traced all the way back to 1870 in Chicago

History cont’d… – Mr. T C. Moy – considered first Chinese pioneer in Chicago (settled and many agreed that Chicagoans were more friendly than those in the Pacific coast) – Largest influx came in 1950’ s and 60’s when the communists took over China and a lax immigration laws were in place – During these 2 decades, the Chinese population of Chicago doubled from 7,000 to 14,000 – 1970 Chicago ranked 4 th in Chinese population in American – First Chinese community built around Van Buren and Clark Streets – -then this was moved to make room for the State detention center – Moved to Wentworth and Cermak – -first stop for many immigrants, but once they master English language and are better assimilated they will move onto a better life in the suburbs

Demographics – IL/Chicago/Chinatown-Demographics.html

Food! – Triple Crown – Shrimp/ beef fried rice – Crab rangoon – Orange chicken – Sesame chicken – Veggie rolls

Fun Facts! – Ping Tom Memorial Park is a Chinese garden on the northern edge of Chinatown along the Chicago River – Chinatown Square, is a shopping area decorated with sculptures of animals in the Chinese zodiac – Chicago Fire Department Engine 8 Company firehouse, firehouse used in the 1991 Ron Howard film Backdraft – Peter Fung designed the Chinatown Gate – Chinese-American Museum of Chicago is a museum about the history of the Chinese in the American Midwest – Pui Tak Center is a designated Chicago Landmark – Chinatown Mural, a mural showing the history of Chinese immigrants in the US

Group Reflection – It was really interesting to explore a neighborhood that is so different from our campus and what we are used to experiencing everyday. It was cool to roam around all the little shops and see the different outfits, candy (green tea KitKats), toys, and jewelry. We also went into a bakery and got almond cookies, which were scrumptious. We were curious to go to a store filled with dried fish products, this was not our best decision, because the smell was a bit overwhelming, but it was pretty cool to see all the sizes of dried fish bellies. This experience has definitely encouraged us to go back and explore more, especially the 40 restaurants in the area. There are definitely more baked goods we hope to try. This was a wonderful example of the many “mini” cities/neighborhoods found in the city of Chicago. It is truly incredible how diverse and unique each neighborhood is and allows opportunity to learn more about other cultures and their traditions. This was an authentic experience because it was a unique area where we felt immersed in the Chinese culture, even though we were still in Chicago!