Summary (Limberg 300-301)
The Vietnamese came to America after the US pullout from Saigon in 1975. Chicago took in 2,000 Vietnamese in the first few months. There are now 74,000 Vietnamese living in the Chicago area. The Uptown/Argyle neighborhood is now a thriving community filled with Vietnamese culture. It is often called Little Vietnam, Little Saigon, or New Chinatown. There are authentic grocery stores on every corner where you can buy fresh fish, many varieties of delicious tea, authentic candies and snacks, and even rice paddy hats! The Argyle neighborhood is truly a little piece of Vietnam.
Statistics (US Census 2010)
Chicago Population: 9,130
Median Household Income: $56,210
Percentage Below Poverty Line: 19.8%
Percentage With At Least a High School Diploma: 75.6%
Percentage Has a Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 28.8%
Median Household Income: $56,210
Percentage Below Poverty Line: 19.8%
Percentage With At Least a High School Diploma: 75.6%
Percentage Has a Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 28.8%
Food and Sites (Yelp)
The food in Argyle is world renowned. From pho to pastries they've got it all. The highlights are Pho 777, a pho restaurant on 1065 W Argyle. Simply It, a casual Vietnamese restaurant on 2269 N Lincoln. Tank Noodle, a casual noodle shop located at 4953-55 North Broadway. Nhu Lan Bakery, a Vietnamese bakery on 2612 West Lawrence. Ba Le, a Vietnamese sandwich shop located at 166 W Washington. All of these places are fantastic food establishments. If you're looking for delicious and authentic Vietnamese food in Chicago, these are the places for you. Of course there are plenty of other fantastic Vietnamese places on Argyle if these don't fulfill your needs. Some of my personal favorite establishments in the neighborhood are the grocery stores. There is fish and a variety of strange sea creatures on display like a market, you can buy pounds of tea for pennies, tons of cool and unusual candies and even Vietnamese clothing.
Institutions
There are a few Vietnamese churches in Chicago. The most famous being St. Henry's Rectory located at 6335 N Hoyne. The National Veterans Art Museum is located in Chicago. Many of the pieces there are done by Vietnam War veterans who were influenced by their time in Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s.
Festivals and Holidays (Wikipedia)
The most famous Vietnamese festival in Chicago is Vietnamese New Year, called Tet Nguyen Dan, shortened to Tet. It celebrates the arrival of spring according to the Chinese calender, which usually takes place in late January or early February. It is celebrated similarly to Chinese New Year, with parades and celebrations. Another Vietnamese festival in Chicago is the Taste of Argyle, which displays Vietnamese culture with food, art and music. It takes place in August. Any time is a great time to visit the neighborhood, but there is nothing like Argyle during Tet, it is one of the most interesting and awe-inspiring places in Chicago.
Timeline (Wikipedia)
1960s- Jimmy Wong buys property on Argyle, plans to make the area a "New Chinatown", which leads to the Asian and eventually Vietnamese influence
1971- Hip Sing Association, a Chinese Cultural Group, moves its offices to Argyle
1974- Wong and HSA own 80% of businesses in 3 block stretch on Argyle
1975- 2,000 Vietnamese come to Chicago after the Fall of Saigon
1979- Charlie Soo helps the area develop more Asian culture
1979- Argyle L station gets $250,000 facelift
1981- Soo hosts the first "Taste of Argyle" an annual food festival
1986- 8,000 Vietnamese and Chinese residents live in the area
1991- Argyle L station gets chinese style roof
2010- Little Vietnam entered into National Register of Historic Places
Famous People (Chicago Tribune)
While the concentration of famous Vietnamese in Chicago is very small, there are many lesser known people who have impacted the community. Thai Dang, a Vietnamese chef, is currently trying to open Vietnamese restaurants throughout all of Chicago in order to spread the culture to more than just the Argyle neighborhood. Vo Nguyen Giap was the last great warrior of Ho Chi Minh's total war philosophy. He is known as the Hero of Dien Bien Phu, a great battle that took place in December 1953. He lived in Chicago for a few years. Charlie Soo and Jimmy Wong were both pivotal in the development of Vietnamese culture in Chicago, without them, there would be no Vietnamese influence in Chicago.
Problems
The Vietnamese did not face much discrimination in Chicago. They mostly had troubles on the Gulf Coast, where they were overtaking American fishermen. The KKK attempted to make the Vietnamese go away, but the Vietnamese banded together and formed the Vietnamese Fishermen Association of America. However, there was a gas leak on Argyle in January 2013 http://www.uptownupdate.com/2013/01/gas-leak-at-sheridan-and-argyle.html.
Interview
Ngu Hien, a Argyle resident, says that in order to further advance the already bustling neighborhood, the community needs to start organizing more community wide events in order to come closer as a community and introduce others to the Vietnamese culture. When asked if he faces any discrimination Hien said that he faces some every now and then but for the most part people are pretty accepting of Vietnamese people. He said that his favorite thing about the neighborhood is how authentic the food is. Hien said that he does not remember the gas leak that occurred in January 2013, so that problem seems to be solved.