Chinatown
By: Elizabeth Zia
Tags: Asian American

Chinatown Gate

Driving through Chicago seems to be a repetitive task. Most of the homes and buildings are near replicas of each other and lack color and creativity. Once you reach 22nd street everything changes. Suddenly the architecture is completely different and the buildings are filled with vibrant colors and cultural decorations. You now know you’re in Chinatown.

Chinatown is full of history and hidden messages. Everywhere you look there is a pattern on a building or a plaque in a foreign language that sparks intrigue. Stepping through the Chinatown gate on Wentworth virtually transports you into a new world. The gate is large and overarches the entire sidewalk. It reads “ Welcome to Chinatown” in beautiful gold letters. The gate serves as an entrance into the heart of Chinatown. Once you are through the gate you are immediately hit with smells of Chinese food and signs in a language which you cannot read. To some this may be frustrating, but surprisingly I felt happy. It made me happy to know that there is a place for Chinese Americans to visit within this amazing city where they can feel at home. I believe it is important to never lose your culture no matter where you go and this neighborhood seems to help that. Chicago is great because it is a city of immigrants and many of our neighborhoods reflect the different groups who immigrated early in Chicago’s rich history.

Short video in the Chinese American Museum of Art

The neighborhood serves as a place to also learn about Chinese culture. The Chinese American Museum of Art is a wonderful place to do that. The short video on the second floor was mesmerizing. Immigrants from China spoke about their journey here and how they felt starting out in Chicago. As the narrators spoke different panels in the walls lit up to reveal different items from the Chinese culture. The exhibit taught me about their culture, cuisine, home land, and celebrations. After leaving the museum I felt a deeper appreciation for what I saw around me. For example I got an explanation for all of the tangerines in the windows. I noticed them as I was walking up and down Wentworth Avenue and had wondered why there was fruit everywhere. The video explained that tangerines are a symbol of good fortune and wealth and are a sign that Chinese New Year is coming. I thought that was really interesting and it prompted me to look for tangerines everywhere I went. I saw them in the restaurant I ate in and almost every store window. The video explanation proved useful for me to understand Chinese culture and tradition. It showed me that no matter how far from home you travel, traditions will always follow.

Nine Dragon Wall

Another interesting feature in Chinatown is the Nine Dragon Wall. The wall is one of the first things you see in the neighborhood. It is modeled after the wall in Beinhai Park in Beijing and is only one of two replicas outside of China. The colors red, blue, and gold represent good fortune in the Chinese culture. I noticed that luck and good fortune are common themes in Chinese culture. A lot of their traditions and artwork seem to be centered around that idea and I find that fascinating.

Lanterns on Wentworth

The main street in Chinatown is Wentworth Avenue. This street is full of restaurants and shops of all kinds. Wentworth is very busy with mostly Chinese Americans doing their daily shopping. There are antique stores, tea shops, grocery stores, schools, and restaurants everywhere. The street signs and signs in store windows read both Chinese and English which I thought was very interesting. When you look up there are hundreds or lanterns strung across the streets and on the front of buildings. It’s really quite beautiful.

Across the street from the Starbucks in Chinatown is the Chinese American Veteran’s Memorial. I believe it is incredibly important to have a memorial for these veterans. When people first came over from China they faced many challenges. Many of the groups already established in America saw them as lesser. Nonetheless, the new Chinese immigrants still fought for this country and I believe nothing makes someone more American than having enough pride in their country to protect it.

Triple Crown entrance

On Wentworth I went to a restaurant called Triple Crown. I had been to this restaurant before, but this time I had paid closer attention. What I found very interesting was that while walking on Wentworth I had only seen Chinese people, but inside this restaurant there were only white people dining there. Over the course of the three hours I spent in Chinatown these were the only white people I had seen. It puzzled me until I looked at the menu and realized that this restaurant really only sold an americanized version of Chinese food. The Dim Sum menu had egg rolls and orange chicken and all of the classics that you’d find anywhere else. There is really nothing wrong with eating “non traditional” food but it was interesting to me that when I looked through windows of the more traditional restaurants only Chinese Americans were eating inside.

Chinatown Square shops

My favorite part of Chinatown was Chinatown Square. This outdoor mall was lined with stores filled with things I had never seen before. I particularly liked the candy store that I found where I purchased a bunch of different types of candy.

Candy in Ichiban Snacks store

I felt that the most common shop in the square was the tea shops. Tea shops are full of expensive teas that are mainly for medicinal purposes. Other shops I saw were beauty shops, restaurants (again filled with white people), and clothing stores. It was really an interesting place to be. The main entrance to the square showcased the different Chinese zodiacs with descriptions in Chinese. I was sad that I was unable to read them because I would have liked to know what they said.

Zodiac of the pig in Chinatown Square

Overall visiting Chinatown was an amazing experience. I learned a lot obout the Chinese culture and about my fellow Chicagoans. I gained a new insight and deeper appreciation for the culture than I ever have before. I admire the struggles that the Chinese immigrants encountered when coming here. It reminded me a lot of my Irish ancestors who fought to come over and start a new and better life in the greatest city in the world.

All photos are mine.