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Navigating The Complexity Of Chinatown Essay

1928 Words8 Pages

Hayden Zeller
2048623
Seminar Race/Power/Resistance
Final Paper Assignment
Navigating the Complexity of Chinatown Chicago must be understood as a multiethnic city; a city that harnesses a diverse group of individuals and neighborhoods. Dating back from the 1850s, it has been known for being a melting pot of cultures, races, and nationalities. One neighborhood in particular, Chinatown, has a unique history and culture and has developed it into one of the largest concentrations of Chinese Americans in the United States. Chinatown is known for its people, food, architecture, parks, and location among many other things. It is an important part of the city of Chicago and has been around for over one hundred years. Chinatown Chicago is unlike any …show more content…

The Chinese community moved for a multitude of reasons, but primarily for lower housing costs. This put them in a less affluent part of Chicago and Chinatown has experienced issues as the neighborhood struggled with poor housing and crime. According to Niche, Chinatown has a D- housing grade which means they are struggling with overcrowding, high prices, funding, and cleanliness (Niche). They also received a C in crime and safety; Chinatown experiences more violent crimes than the national average by a significant margin (Niche). Although these can be startling, one problem Chinatown hasn’t experienced, unlike many other ethnic neighborhoods experienced in the United States, is gentrification. An article written by Anna Clark titled, “The Unlikely Boom of Chicago’s Chinatown” discusses the lack of gentrification. In this article, she interviewed a Chinese American living in Chicago’s Chinatown, “Chicago Chinatown is the only one in the country that has not been gentrified and also has been expanding,” said resident Wong (Clark). Gentrification has been a pressing issue recently, especially in Chicago neighborhoods such as Pilsen, but Chinatown has grown into a neighborhood with a strong sense of community that has helped it grow and keep its unique culture inside neighborhood …show more content…

While Chinatown may be located in Chicago, it feels far from it. The neighborhood takes you in and gives you experiences that you won’t have anywhere else. Every time I have visited I’ve felt new sensations. This one was more surreal than the others. I failed to capture this perfect image, it felt like something West Anderson would love but I can still concretely see it in my mind. I’ve been into the many stores of Chinatown but haven’t fully taken them in before this trip. The cultural differences are so vast and it took me until this trip to fully understand. The stores in Chinatown are made to suit the needs of anyone at any time. I would love to visit again and focus on a different ethnic feature instead of food. The languages, architecture, community centers, and shrines all interest me and make me curious about just how different a neighborhood twenty minutes from me can be from the rest of the United

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