Archives for Writing
Maxwell Street: A History of Racial and Cultural Integration
Author: Albus Gao Program of Study: SSD MAPSS I have been a blues fan for years. It didn’t take long before I discovered that Chicago is essentially the birthplace of urban blues in postwar America. When I was browsing through the list of legendary blues artists in Chicago hoping to find some new music inspirations, a street in...
From Monroe St. to Louisville: When Moral Obligations become Radical Acts
Author: Nioshi Program of Study: SSD MAPSS As you take a (virtual) tour down West Monroe Street in the city of Chicago, you might walk past a modern-looking bricked building. It looks as simple as any other building in the lane and is easy to miss. If you go closer, you see a poster with the face of a...
Murals in Chicago: an Open Conversation concerning Immigration History, Civil Rights and Cultural Identities
Author: Chuqing (Louisa) Zhao Program of Study: SSD MAPSS Three years ago, when I first came to the United States, I was deeply impressed by murals. The city is a big and living canvas for people coming from different corners of the world. Paintings on walls vividly tell stories about race and immigration, hope and inspiration. Through a city...
Boystown: Understand inclusivity from multidimensions
Author: Cao Ruochen Program of Study: SSD MAPSS Located in the north part of Chicago, Boystown is one of the most renowned LGBTQ neighborhoods in the world. This spot has witnessed the Pride Parades every June for decades since the Stonewall Uprising in 1969. According to a local queer activist, Devlyn Camp, the nickname Boystown was given by columnist...
Finding Chicago – The Rhythm of tango in the City of Chicago
Author: Wei Zhang Program of Study: SSD MAPSS The Rhythm of tango in the City of Chicago Big cities attract immigrants, searching for a “promising Eden”( Yanes, Gonzalez). In the late 1800s, Argentina’s government depicted such an enchanting picture which drew people living in Europe to this continent without considering the amalgamation of distinctive cultures, values and living habits....
An Embodiment of Empire: Lincoln Park Conservatory Revisited
Author: Qiyu Yang Program of Study: Humanities MAPH A sense of tranquility embraces me when I virtually enter the Lincoln Park Conservatory. The first statue that comes into view – a girl in meditation – guides me to Arcadia. Taro leaves, papyrus and lotus growing out of the little pond create an illusion that I’m walking into a long-lost...
What Goes Around Comes Around- ‘Reverse Discrimination’ in Chinatown Rental Market
Author: Yier Program of Study: SSD Computational Social Science Much to many people’s surprise, Chinatown has always been a mystery to me as a Chinese citizen. Despite the same descent and traditional culture I share with Chinatown residents, how they are nurtured and influenced by their local cultures has always confounded me: will they welcome me as a fellow...
Pullman: A Time Capsule To The First Industrial Utopia in the United States
Author: Mingyang Sun Program of Study: SSD MAPSS Heading south along the S Cottage Grove Ave from the University of Chicago by car, within 20 minutes, we will arrive at Pullman, a neighborhood located on Chicago’s south side. The main purpose of our short trip to the Pullman neighborhood is to visit Pullman National Monument, also known as the...