小東京

When I told Ben C. that I was interested in going to Chicago some time before medical school resumes (Aug 25) in order to look for Chinese-style clothes, a proper mahjong set, and possibly (with any luck) some Japanese items like a futon and some zabutons, he showed some interest. We'll see if it happens or not.

Anyway, talking about Chinatown made me realize how much I wish we had a Little Tokyo in the MidWest. Sadly there isn't even a Little Tokyo in New York City! The only "Japantowns" in the United States are all on the West Coast. It makes sense both pre-WW2 historically (the Japanese crossed the Pacific and settled mostly in the West) and post-WW2 historically (the internment camps were all out west and the released Japanese re-settled in the western states rather than attempting to move back east). Also, as I learned at Purdue, the percent of Japanese amongst the Asian population might be analogous to the percent of Cubans in the Hispanic population in the USA. They exist, but there are more Mexicans (Chinese) and Puerto Ricans (Koreans) than Cubans (Japanese). And just like how Florida breaks that claim for Cubans, so too do Washington and Oregon break it for Japanese. And it makes sense: people emigrated to seek out a better life, and Japan has long been the socioeconomic pearl of the Orient. You put all these facts together and it adds up to America having a tiny Japanese population who are mostly concentrated on the West Coast and therefore no Little Tokyo in Chicago.

Can any Chicagoans confirm or deny for me just how big Chinatown is in Chicago? I know not to expect San Francisco but I am expecting something bigger than 4 city blocks (i.e. bigger than 2 city blocks wide by 2 city blocks long) and I'd like to have that optimism crushed before I hit I-65 rather than after. Also, does anybody know if Chicago's Chinatown carries all manner of Chinese goods (clothes, furniture, antiques, food, music, decorative art) or is it just an oversized, overglorified Chinese grocer's market?