The many faces of the Windy City
Multiculturalism and diversity have been some of the many remarkable characteristics of the USA for a long time. It holds the record of being the place where thousands of cultures, traditions, and languages have collided and exchanged their customs. Being at the forefront of this heritage trading has its benefits. For example, boosts businesses and pictures the country in a noteworthy position internationally. It should also be noted that it promotes opportunities and globalization, which can be defined as ‘The spread of products, technology, information, and jobs across national borders and cultures. (Fernando).
Throughout history, America has acted like a mediator between continents, hence the reason why it has been so welcoming of the many diverse travelers. Other than benefits to its openness, there were also adjustments that this place had to go through so they could adapt. There cannot be effective communication or interaction without an adequate environment and resources that support it. Large cities are the most common rendezvous points. America’s top three largest and most populated cities are New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. These metropolises offer a large number of options to interact and exchange ideas. Beautiful parks, cozy neighborhoods to settle down in and other safe public spaces and streets for individuals to walk through and chat, regardless of their race and gender. In this essay, the focus point will be on Chicago, or also known as the “Windy City”. Chicago holds some of the most valuable insight in regard to diversity and multiculturalism and how it is represented in its population and urban areas.
Chicago was incorporated as a town in 1833 and as a city in 1837. (History). It has been around for a while now and has evolved into the largest city of the American Midwest. “Unlike Rome, New York has never learned the art of growing old by playing on all its pasts.” (De Certeau). This quote does not include Chicago in it, nevertheless as it was stated before, New York and Chicago are both large cities, therefore similar. Thanks to the Industrial Revolution that took place in the 18th century, the small town grew rapidly into the massive municipality that we see today. Commerce and trading were great incentives to develop transportation systems that connected Chicago to other major cities and states. Convenient spaces were created where locals, travelers, immigrants, merchants, and passersby could feel welcomed and socialize. Considerable influences from other countries were also part of the beginning of the development of the city and multiculturalism.
Many immigrants, from all parts of the world, chose Chicago as their destination to start a new life. In the early 20th century, the city experienced its first immigration waves. Various individuals would settle down in distinct areas and start to form a neighborhood or community. For example, Chicago’s Chinatown dates its origin back to the 1900 hundreds. The Chinese who first arrived were urban. They were restaurateurs, grocers, launderers.”(Timeout) Therefore, the streets were packed with customers, pedestrians, small businesses, store owners, and tourists like me who happen to have a liking of Chinatowns. The place gradually transitioned and evolved. Traditional Chinese houses and other buildings were made, and public spaces were occupied for festivals and other celebrations. People are usually out, walking, running errands, buying their groceries. Sometimes even more than other neighborhoods I have visited. The streets of Chinatown are always so full of life. It’s enjoyable to just walk around and look at the shops, the people, the pets, the souvenirs behind the glass of the stores, etc. The following quote from a past assigned reading refers to the experience I usually have whenever I visit this neighborhood. “It is exactly this social mobility, this lack of compartments and distinctions, that gives the street its danger and its magic, the danger and magic of water in which everything runs together.” (Solnit). It supports the idea of how the people who walk the street at a certain time and moment can bring livelihood, magic, and uniqueness. It is about the experience of feeling sonder in a place within another one.
Another of my favorite spots in Chicago is Pilsen, due to the proud Mexican heritage it displays in its murals and the people who inhabit it. As someone who is part of the Latin American community, visiting this neighborhood has helped me cope with homesickness and reconnect with my roots. Even though Mexico and Ecuador are different countries, they have more similarities than the average person thinks. Having the chance to listen to the people there speak Spanish, serve actual authentic Mexican food, and interact with each other like one big family makes it feel like home.
The thing that I like about Pilsen is its murals and their ability to represent culture, tradition, and history. The murals have much more significance and relevance than one might imagine. When we were introduced to the murals at the tour, a memory from a high school art history class suddenly appeared on my mind. It is a reference to the murals in Mexico City, which actually belong to a movement that took place during the 1910s called “Muralism”. It was a form of protest against the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz, whose government oppressed and tried to erase workers and farmers at the time. These people went out to the streets and partnered with revolutionary artists to help them paint their side of history. “A city always contains more than any inhabitant can know, and a great city always makes the unknown and the possible spurs to the imagination.” (Solnit). This quote supports my prompt because it talks about how much a single painting, graffiti, building, poster, or wall can signify in a city. In this case, Pilsen carries proudly Mexican history on its walls, at the same time it is located only a couple of minutes away from Chinatown, another piece of diversity in Chicago.
Lastly, there are way more neighborhoods that deserve to be talked about, Little Italy and the peacefulness of its sidewalks and pretty old-fashioned looking lanterns, Humboldt Park, and the pride of the Puerto Rican flag and Latinx presence, or perhaps Greektown and its decorated trees and eye-catching restaurants that I will definitely visit again. The Ukrainian Village, Little India or Mitsuwa Marketplace should not be left behind as well. There are probably even more sections of the city that I still do not know about because the GPS does not list them on the map. The only thing left to do is venture into the city and get lost with the help of locals.
Different cultures and citizens from different countries coexisting in the approximate 60 000 hectares that make up Chicago nowadays. Living in 77 distinct neighborhoods altogether and sharing their stories. This is the multiculturalism in Chicago. Still and all, there are certain issues that must be addressed that affects diversity in the city. Gentrification and displacement are the main issues that disturb the desired goal of inclusion, alongside with the fact that Chicago is one the most racially segregated cities. How can there be multiculturalism when the city is so “divided”. The answer is: Walkers, no matter where they are from, are the threads who connect this separation and maintain the city together. They reclaim the streets and make history by painting on walls, making protests, building monuments, etc. The city will probably not look the same in the next 100 years. However, there are pedestrians and wanderers who will remember and carry on the history of the Windy City.
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