Chicago Neighborhoods of Focus
Chicago was my first love, teaching my second. So, imagine the excitement and gratitude I felt when I was first offered a teaching position in Chicago. The initial excitement was short lived when I heard my students say they hate this city and they can’t wait to get out. I was confused and heartbroken. How could these children hate a city that has so much to offer? Chicago has always been a “tale of two cities.” I had been naive to think that we were living in the same “tale” when that was in fact not the case. We were living two very different tales in one very segregated city.
Chicago is grouped into 77 community areas with over 180 neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods seem to reflect the old Hollywood image of Chicago, rich, dreamy and full of opportunity and adventure, while some have been forgotten. Nevertheless, each has its own unique culture that adds to the vibrant diversity of Chicago. For this unit, we are going to focus on three neighborhoods, Bronzeville, Pilsen and Chinatown, that surround our neighborhood of Bridgeport. Each of the three neighborhoods of study have a distinct, immediately perceptible culture and you can’t help but feel their pride as you explore. Bridgeport, located in the center of the three, couldn’t feel more different from them. I want students to feel proud of Bridgeport and I want them to see themselves represented in the neighborhood, even if it is only where they go to school. We are going examine how each neighborhood used and continue to use art and culture as a form of self-expression and empowerment.
Bridgeport
Bridgeport is a working- class neighborhood of Chicago’s near South Side. It is the birthplace and home to five Chicago mayors but it is more well known for being home to the Chicago White Sox, one of Major League Baseball's oldest franchises. Today Bridgeport’s population is relatively diverse with roughly 34 percent white, 34 percent Asian, 27 percent Hispanic, 3 percent African American, 2 percent mixed and 1 percent other. These demographics are much different from when Bridgeport was founded in 1930 and 99% of its population was white. Unlike today, diversity was not always welcomed. Bridgeport used art as a hinge point for revitalizing the area and connecting cultures. Bridgeport has diverse food options, parks and art centers. The Zhou B Art Center promotes contemporary convergence of Eastern and Western art and is meant to be an exchange between local artists and the global art community. The Bridgeport Art Center and Co-Prosperity Sphere are prevailing staples in the community that both serve as a space for local artists to be creative and showcase their exhibits. Bridgeport is also home to Boys and Girls Club where students can participate in afterschool programs. Despite these organizations and creative outlets that prove staples to the community, my students don’t feel proud of their neighborhood once they leave the school building and they have valid concerns that are not to be taken lightly. Their concerns for lack of safety both in their neighborhood and elsewhere in the city are valid; Chicago’s violence is real and it affects us all. However, I do want my students to feel a sense of pride in their community and not just within the realms of our school building. They can create change by raising awareness through works of art for the issue they care most deeply about in both their communities and the city to truly make their neighborhood both a place they are proud to call home, just as the three neighborhoods that surround us do.
Bronzeville
Bronzeville is a neighborhood located in the community area of Douglas, just east of our neighborhood of Bridgeport. Bronzeville is part of the South Side of Chicago, a place of rich black heritage made up of a mix of poverty stricken, working class and upper-income black residents. The South Side was home to the first black woman senator and the first black President of the United States and other African American elites such as Vivian Harsh, Nat King Cole, Red Fox, Joe Louis, Louis Armstrong, Dr. Daniel William, Sam Cook, Ida B. Wells, Richard Wright and Gwendolyn Brooks. Bronzeville was known for its nightclubs and dance halls that developed with the migration of Southern musicians during the Great Migration. It has always been known for being a national center of urban African-American commerce and art. In 1925, Bronzeville was part of what is known as the Black Metropolis and in 1930, it earned its name “Bronzeville,” reflecting the skin tone of most of its residents. The idea for Negro History week, which evolved into Black History month was formulated at the YMCA in Bronzeville by scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson. After the end of racially restricted housing, Bronzeville fell into a decline due to upper and middle-class families moving away and overcrowding and poverty overwhelmed the neighborhood. From the 1970s though the 1980s, unemployment hit 90 percent and Bronzeville became an impoverished neighborhood. In the mid 1980s, middle class black professionals began rehabbing houses, but unfortunately it did not make up for the loss in business. Throughout the 1990s, there were promises of improvement with a new McCormick Place Convention, one of Chicago’s biggest meeting places, that aimed to serve as a gateway to the city center, but sadly it only served as the end of the line for many white people. Despite the fact that Bronzeville never did quite reach its promised potential, Bronzeville celebrates that the identity of its black residents. (13) Bronzeville is home to some of the most celebrated works within the City of Chicago’s Public Art Collection. Sculptures fill the grass along Martin Luther King drive, which features Alison Saar’s “Monument to the Great Northern Migrations,” “The Bronzeville Walk of Fame”, and the “Victory Monument.” All of these works honor those who have made extraordinary contributions to the African American community. The South Side Community Arts in an organization that has a long history of tolerance and understanding the use of art to enrich a community. At times when racism and segregation prevented many African Americans from contributing to the cultural life of the United States, the South Side Community Arts was a place where they could tell their story as African American artists. Today, African American culture is still celebrated each year during the Bud Billiken Parade, a black back-to-school parade, as well as through sculptures, murals, and mosaics. Each work of art you see as you pass through Bronzeville pays tribute to influential African Americans as well as to African culture.
Pilsen
Pilsen is known as the heart of the Mexican community of Chicago. Pilsen was first occupied by Czechs in the 1870s and its name originated from the Czech city of Plzen. The neighborhood is located in the Lower West Side community of Chicago, which served as an entry point to the city for many immigrants. Immigrants were always attracted to the industrial opportunities the neighborhood had. Pilsen didn’t become predominantly Mexican American until the 1960s. In 1987, the National Museum of Mexican Art was opened. It is the nation’s largest Latino art institution. The museum was influenced by the Mexican immigrants of the area. Pilsen is known as the backbone of Chicago’s Lower West Side Strong because of its cultural heritage and rich working-class legacy. (14) The walls of Pilsen are decorated with colorful murals dating back to the 1960s and tile mosaics which both reflect its traditions. Pilsen brings everyday art to the working class. Pilsen has a long history of using its art as a tool to speak for the working class and create change. Historically influenced from government funded murals in the 1920s and 1930s, the murals made their way to Pilsen in the late 1960s and 1970s, becoming the voice of the people. In 1968, the first anti-Vietnam mural of Chicago was painted in Pilsen. In the 1980s, artists painted a mural illustrating a massive statue of a U.S supported Nicaraguan dictator toppled by working and middle-class rebels in protest to keep U.S out of Columbia. Other political murals referencing presidents have been updated with current presidents to discuss the issues that we face today. Other murals were created by artists to inspire the youth and educating them by providing opportunities for them. There are religious murals and murals that honor their ancestors. Along with public art, Pilsen is also known for hip galleries, live music and authentic Mexican restaurants. Its cultural pride is the reason why it was honored as one of the “coolest neighborhoods in the world” according to Forbes Magazine in 2018. (15)
Chinatown
“Chinatown offers a revealing look at how a group of people bound geographically, culturally, linguistically and economically during hostile times has flourished to become a vibrant, contagious and proud community for Chinese Americans.” (16)This is true for Chicago’s Chinatown and “Chinatowns” across the nation. Chicago’s Chinatown is located in the community area of Armour Square Park in Chicago’s near south side. With more than 65,000 Chinese residents, Chicago’s Chinatown is one of the largest neighborhoods of its kind in the United States. Chinatown is known for a vibrant and energetic culture that’s reflected in the shops, authentic cuisine, and landmarks like Ping Tom Memorial Park and a Buddhist Temple. From its description today, we almost forget how it was founded. Chinatowns in the United States evolved in large part because of the anti-Chinese racism and because of the legal barriers that prevented assimilation. (17) Chinatowns arose in major cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Cleveland, Chicago, and many others. Chicago’s Chinatown aimed to preserve and promote common cultural values and protect and expand its ethnic Chinese economy, which proved a challenge. (18). Chinese immigrants first came to the United States for opportunity during the “Gold Rush” in the mid 1800s. During this time, they were paid less than fellow white workers. When the railroad was completed, the ensuing Great Depression hit and in 1869, 20,000 Chinese immigrants found themselves out of a job. Since they couldn’t earn wages through traditional work, they developed their own business, predominantly in laundry services and restaurants. Chinese were driven out of towns and riots began to break out nationwide that discriminated against Chinese Americans. Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 because Chinese were said to be “...incapable of assimilation into U.S. society.” (19). The act prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers. The act was then renewed in 1892, this time making it mandatory for Chinese Americans, including U.S born citizens, to carry an ID at all times. If they didn’t, they were risking jail time or deportation. During this time, it was hard for Chinese Americans to find a place to live outside of Chinatown. The act was enforced for 61 years, finally being repealed in 1943 once Japanese Americans became the main xenophobic target after WWII. Since the act was no longer in effect, the Chinese community in Chicago was finally free to thrive. Chinatown became a cultural identity heritage maker for Chinese Americans in Chicago. Besides award winning restaurants, Chinatown has an incredible collection of public art that includes zodiac-inspired animal sculptures and twin pagodas. The area's signature piece, an enormous tile mosaic created by celebrated artists Yan Dong and Zhou Ping, represents the accomplishments of Chinese people in America. Today, Chinatown is defined by its history of welcome, rejection and acceptance.
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