Chinatown

Camille, Bhakti, Giulia, Michael, Austin

Location

The Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, is on the

South Side of the city. Chinatown is located in the Armour

Square community area, and it is centered on Cermak and

Wentworth Avenues.

How to get to Chinatown

Board Red Line at Loyola stop

towards 95th/Dan Ryan and get off at

the Cermak-Chinatown stop.

Travel Time: 40 minutes

2 Bus Routes:

62 Archer

24 Wentworth

(both can be accessed downtown)

History ● Early settlement of Chinese

immigrants in chicago can be traced to 1870s after the continental railroad was built.

● Due to the Great Depression, many people lost their jobs, and the Chinese, who were 80% of the labor force, were targeted and beat on by the Americans

History

In the 1870s there was a lot of anti-Chinese sentiment on the west

coast of the United States, so many Chinese moved to Chicago. As

the population grew, they began to start their own businesses

including small shops, restaurants, and laundries. Because

Chinese were being discriminated in California, the Chinese

boycotted US trade in China. Hearing this news, landlords

increased the price of rent for Chinese in Chicago, making living in

those areas unaffordable. The Chinese then relocated to the

southern part of the city. When a new detention center had to be

built in the 1970s, Chinatown was relocated to its current location

by Argyle and Broadway.

Demographics

Demographics

Activities

● Double Li Restaurant

● Ten Ren Tea and

Ginseng Co. of Chicago

Ltd.

● Taste of Chinese

Cuisine Cruise

Activities and Attractions

● Wendella Boats

and Chicago Water

Taxi

● Chinatown New

Year Festival

● Autumn Moon

Festival

Nine Dragon Wall

Our Experience

Upon exiting the Red Line station there was no mistaking where we were. The Nine Dragon Wall greeted us with a kind “Welcome to Chicago’s Chinatown” that left no doubt in anyones mind. Following a few photo opportunities it was time to dive in. The sidewalks were lined with shops looking to sell some rather interesting merchandise; this ranged from posters, to nunchuks, to traditional clothing, to Pikachu banks (this made Michael very happy). After perusing a few of the different stores we were hungry for more so we decided to try some of the local cuisine. Things got interesting when the pork tongue and fried pork intestine was brought out- they were not exactly what our palates were used to- but they did certainly satisfy our taste for adventure.

Reflection

Overall the trip to Chinatown would be rated as a success. Our group enjoyed plenty of laughs and some quality time in a new environment. The escape from campus was relieving and provided a great release from the stresses of a tough midterms week. Because of our experiences we’ve afforded new insights into life inside the city of Chicago with this trip to Chinatown as we were able to take a look inside a very culturally specific area of the extremely diverse city. Now we have one more notch on our exploring Chicago belts and know exactly where to go if we ever get the hankering for some pork tongue.

Works Cited"Chicago Chinatown." Attractions and Festivals. Chicago Chinatown, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.chicago-chinatown.info/chinatown-attractions.html>.

"Chinatown History." History. Chicago Chinatown, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.chicago-chinatown.info/chinatown-history.html>.

"Chinatown Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60616 Detailed Profile." Chinatown Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL),

60616 Subdivision Profile. Urban Mapping, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.

<http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Chinatown-Chicago-IL.html>.

"Transportation." Chicago Chinatown Chamber. Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.

<http://chicagochinatown.org/transportation/>