View Single Post
  #2384  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2020, 11:51 PM
marothisu marothisu is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Chicago
Posts: 6,883
Quote:
Originally Posted by ardecila View Post
Will be interesting to see if the 2021 ward remap results in an Asian alderman. It was awesome a few years ago when Theresa Mah was elected to serve in Springfield. The Asian growth numbers are not like the flood of Mexicans in the 1970s and 80s that resulted in Chicago becoming 1/3 Latino, but still very impressive.

We should have had an Asian alderman long ago, if not for the Daley clan gerrymandering Bridgeport, Canaryville, and University Village into a single north-south ward to maintain white control (vs the multi-ethnic 25th Ward which represents Latino, Asian and Black residents). It's the old machine trying to hang onto its symbolic heart. You could just as easily redraw the 11th Ward to go east-west from Chinatown to north McKinley Park and potentially end up with an Asian majority. Canaryville would probably end up in a Black or Latino ward - I'm sure the residents would love that...
Definitely not the same as the flood of Mexicans a handful of decades ago, but still lately it's a little impressive. I think that flood happened mainly in LA, SF, and NYC for the Chinese population in the last decade. However, it looks as if in the last few years it's shifting to cities like Chicago.

I had read that Mah is trying to get a high school again for Chinatown. With the expanding population, it would actually make it even easier to continue to attract Chinese families to Chicago. As my wife, her friends, and my in laws tell me in America, Chicago is more of an ideal city for them than a place like NYC is from the actual living perspective. More green space, cleaner, etc - more akin to the 'new' middle/upper class China in cities whereas NYC - less space, less green space, and dirtier is more akin to the "old" China that they are basically trying to erase and get away from. The cities with a bunch of middle/upper class money like Shanghai have done everything in their power to basically tear down the "old" China (which is what Americans think these cities look like even though they don't any longer). In a way, it's a bit similar to the American middle class in the 1950s and 1960s exploding and wanting nicer living arrangements. Not the same, but in a way..similar. Make more money, live in less cramped places that are cleaner, send kids to good schools and send them off to college, get a good job, many people wanting more green space, etc.

Still a lot of room for Chicago to grow in these ways but at least it's been doing a good job. In 2018, Bridgeport was nearly 40% Asian, while McKinley Park was 25%, and Brighton Park was 8%. Archer Heights now 5%. We'll find out in a few months with the 5 year ACS what those are now but guaranteed to be more. Brighton Park is probably at least 12% now and I'm guessing Archer Heights nearing in on 10% now. The gerrymandering thing here is quite interesting..
__________________
Chicago Maps:
* New Construction https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...B0&usp=sharing
Reply With Quote