Chicago’s Chinatown is growing, even while Chinese communities across North America succumb to the pressures of gentrification. Despite the growing population, many in Chinatown fear displacement from the rapidly growing South Loop neighborhood. Last year the Coalition for the Better Chinese American Community published an anti-gentrification map to draw attention to advocacy organizations and community service providers in order to highlight the neighborhood’s strong civic foundation.
This summer, the IPRO team will work with the Chinese American Museum to set up a living museum exhibit that celebrates these community organizations and highlights the roles they play in promoting Chinese culture and the Chinatown community. The team will work with local organizations to identify and capture appropriate audio-visual content and design, test and implement a web or mobile application that that allows visitors and residents to hear stories as they explore Chinatown streets, parks, and plazas. The goal is to promote awareness of community challenges and opportunities and to emphasize the role these civic organizations play in protecting and promoting this ethnic enclave.
