IN 16 YEARS, I'M GOING TO GAS
UP.
WELL MORE THAN 100
LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS ARE
SPOKEN RIGHT HERE IN CHICAGO
CITY REMAINS A GATEWAY TO
IMMIGRANTS AND TRANSPLANTS
FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY IN TONIGHT'S
DESTINATION, ILLINOIS. WE
EMBARK ON AN EDUCATIONAL
JOURNEY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
THE HISTORY OF CHICAGO'S
NEIGHBORHOODS.
WELCOME TO CHINATOWN
BUSTLING NEAR SOUTH SIDE HOME
TO MORE THAN 35,000 CHINESE
AMERICANS INCLUDING BRIDGEPORT
ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE
SOUTH BRANCH OF THE CHICAGO
RIVER. DRAGON BOAT RACES TO
SUPPORT SOCIAL SERVICES PART
OF THE CULTURE IS HARD WORKING
COMMUNITY STROLL DOWN
WENTWORTH AVENUE TO SEE A
CHINATOWN ICON.
THE TOWERING PEW TALK
CENTER.
FOR NEARLY A CENTURY NOW
PROVIDING ADULT EDUCATION
SUPPORT SERVICES AND CULTURAL
EVENTS FOR CHINESE IMMIGRANTS.
FAMILY OF THE DECADE'S
NEIGHBORHOOD MOTIVATING FORCE.
FAMILY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO
CHANGE AMERICA'S OFTEN
MULTIPLE GENERATIONS WITH
TOGETHER.
YOU'LL SEE FOLKS IN
BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR SPACES,
SOCIALLY DISTANCE ENJOYING
CHINATOWN'S MARVELOUS
RESTAURANT SCENE THERE'S THE
CHINESE CHRISTIAN UNION
CHURCH, A LONGTIME COMMUNITY
ANCHOR.
YOU'LL FIND SHOPS AND ART
GALLERIES.
PEOPLE'S CREATIVITY AND
RESOURCEFULNESS OF BEACON TO
OTHERS.
THOSE WHO KNOW THE HISTORY
SAY IT'S BEEN A DIFFICULT
ROAD.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY THE
SECOND TIME IN TOWN IN
CHICAGO. THE ORIGINAL FOLKS
LIVING AND WORKING NEAR
DOWNTOWN RACE BETWEEN ADAMS
AND VAN BUREN.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE WILLIS
TOWER THE PAGODA ON THIS
RESTAURANT SIGN THE LAST
VISIBLE REMNANT OF CHICAGO'S
FIRST CHINATOWN MORE THAN A
100 YEARS AGO, HIGH RENTS AND
VIRULENT RACISM MAKING THE
NEWCOMERS FEEL UNWELCOME AND
SADLY DRIVING THE CHINESE OUT
THE COMMUNITY RESETTLING WHERE
IT IS TODAY.
LEARN ABOUT THE
UNIMAGINABLE HARDSHIPS AND THE
TRIUMPHS OVER POVERTY AND
DISCRIMINATION, THE CHINESE
AMERICAN MUSEUM ON 23RD
STREET.
PRESERVING THE HISTORY FOR
NEW GENERATIONS. TEARING OUR
WAY SOUTH EXPERIENCE ANOTHER
GATEWAY COMMUNITY HISTORIC
WILSON, A 150 YEARS AGO REFUGE
TO IMMIGRANTS FROM WHAT IS NOW
WESTERN CZECHOSLOVAKIA TODAY
ICONIC 18TH STREET HOME TO A
MEXICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES.
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF
MEXICAN ART AND A VIBRANT
RESTAURANT SCENE SERVING UP
AUTHENTIC MEXICAN DISHES.
MARTIN LUTHER KING DRIVE IN
HISTORIC BROWNSVILLE THIS
THRIVING SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY
IN THE LAST CENTURY ATTRACTING
GIANTS FROM THE MUSIC WORLD,
LOUIS ARMSTRONG.
PULITZER PRIZE WINNING POET
GWENDOLYN BROOKS AND OTHER
BLACK LUMINARIES. IN NON COVID
SUMMERS, THE COMMUNITY HOSTING
THE LARGEST AFRICAN-AMERICAN
PARADE IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE BACK TO SCHOOL BUT BILL
KING PARADE ATTRACTING A
MILLION PEOPLE TO BRONZEVILLE
IN WASHINGTON PARK. WELL
YOU'LL FIND THE DEW SAVILE
MUSEUM OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN
HISTORY LEARN ABOUT A
LEGENDARY GROUP OF WORLD WAR
ONE SOLDIERS, THE FEARLESS 370
OF US INFANTRY REGIMENTS AND
ALL-BLACK REGIMENT.
THE 3 70TH. AND THAT WERE
SOME OF THE MOST DECORATED
SOLDIERS IN ALL OF WORLD WAR
ONE THROUGHOUT THE U.S. ARMY,
THE SOLDIERS IMMORTALIZED BY
THE CHICAGO LANDMARK THE
MAJESTIC VICTORY MONUMENT AND
35TH AND KING DRIVE THE 370 OF
ALSO KNOWN AS THE FIGHTING A
REGIMEN OF THE ILLINOIS
NATIONAL GUARD, WINNING
ADMIRATION FOR THEIR BRAVERY.
THE COURAGE OF THESE
REMARKABLE SOLDIERS COMMANDED
BY BLACK OFFICERS CONTRIBUTING
TO ALLIED VICTORY DO SAVILE
TEMPORARILY CLOSED DUE TO THE
PANDEMIC HOUSING THIS
EXTRAORDINARY EXHIBIT, THE
FLAGS ARE THE ACTUAL FLAGS
CARRIED BY OUR TROOPS IN
FRANCE IN THE HEROIC SOLDIERS
RETURNING HOME TO LOVED ONES
ONLY TO CONFRONT HATRED AND
VIOLENCE WITH THE RACE RIOTS
OF 1919. THE BLOODSHED
ERUPTING ON A SEGREGATED
CHICAGO BEACH, THOSE EVENTS
STARTED AS A RESULT OF A YOUNG
BLACK BOY NAMED EUGENE
WILLIAMS.
BEING STONE AND DROWNED IN
LAKE MICHIGAN BECAUSE HE
ACCIDENTALLY DRIFTED INTO THE
WHITE PART OF THE WATER. THE
HAUNTING IMAGES OF GANGS
CHASING AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH
BRICKS IN THEIR HAND DEEPLY
DISTURBING THE RIOT CLAIMING
38 LIVES INJURING 500 MORE.
WITH THE 1000 BLACK
FAMILIES LEFT HOMELESS, THE
MOBS LOOTING AND VANDALIZING
BE ABANDONED PROPERTIES
MEMBERS OF THE FIGHTING A RACE
TO THEIR 35TH IN GILES NOW THE
CHICAGO MILITARY ACADEMY AT
BROWNSVILLE THEY TOOK THE
WEAPONS AND THEY CAME OUT TO
HELP DEFEND THE COMMUNITY AND
TRY TO QUELL THE VIOLENCE
LEARN MORE AT THE CHICAGO
HISTORY MUSEUM'S EXHIBIT ON
THE RACE RIOTS AND SO MUCH
MORE AND THE TRAGEDIES OF THE
PAST ILLUMINATING THE FUTURE
AS YOU GAIN A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING WHAT OUR CHICAGO
