Even the introductions at a meeting packed with hundreds of Near South Side Chinese-American residents Monday night served as a message of the community’s political potential.

While greeting the elected officials in attendance, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community Chairman C.W. Chan made sure to also note the number of Chinese-American voters registered in the legislative districts represented.

There were 2,040 such voters in the 25th Ward alone, he said.

Ald. Danny Solis (25th), State Sen. Mattie Hunter and State Reps. Kenneth Dunkin and Edward Acevedo listened in from the dais in the Haines Elementary School lunchroom. Signs hung on wall behind the pols read, “Unity is Power,” “It’s time to speak up for us” and “Our vote is our power.”

“I think this is the biggest we have seen,” Chinatown parks advocate Leonard Louie said of the outpouring of people Monday. “We have a cross-section of everybody — seniors, young people, English speaking, non-English speaking. We’re growing up as a community.”

This spring, Chinatown leaders made waves by advocating in Springfield that Chicago’s broader Chinese-American community needs its own legislative district.

Monday’s session touched on looming state cuts to education, but it focused primarily on the public services, or the lack thereof, available to the community.

Speakers asked for commitments and time lines for the construction of a new library in Chinatown and of a park district field house in Ping Tom Park.

The Chinatown public library branch, 2353 S. Wentworth, is the busiest in the system, and residents have complained about worn books and a lack of space for programming. There hasn’t been a field house in the neighborhood since the Dan Ryan expanded in the 1960s, displacing a former park district facility.

Some residents expressed a sense that the neighborhood had been ignored.

“I came over and lived in Chinatown since I was 5,” said longtime resident James Moy. “They promised us, they promised us and nothing has changed.”

Solis, whose 25th Ward includes Chinatown, promised to arrange a meeting with the park district about the field house and work with the community to find a location for a new library, a facility he said needed to be at least 10,000 square feet and accessible via public transportation.

A previous site at Archer and Wentworth didn’t work out, Solis said, and a February 2011 groundbreaking on the library, one of the demands made by community leaders, would be difficult if a new location wasn’t found.

“If we can find that site in the next two to three months, yes, I think we can have that groundbreaking,” Solis told the crowd. “But you have to help me find that site.”

Solis said the city has earmarked $5 million in tax increment financing dollars for land acquisition for a new library and $10 million in TIF funds is available in 2012 for the field house.

Left on the table was the possibility of electoral repercussions should more services not start to flow.

“As February rolls around,” said Kristen Jo Koby, a parent of a child at Pui Tak School, “our will question will be what have you done for us lately?”

“I’m used to large meetings as an organizer, especially in the Hispanic community,” Solis said after the meeting let out. “This is the first time I’ve seen this number of people, this discipline and this organized. They know what they’re doing, definitely.”

Contact: mmaidenberg@chicagojournal.com

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By Concerned Citizen of Chinatown from Chinatown/Armour Square
Posted: 07/13/2010 3:24 PM

I forgot to mention. That site that I had mention on the prior note at Cermak/Princeton would be a potential site for the new Library.

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By Concerned Citizen of Chinatown from Chinatown/Armour Square
Posted: 07/13/2010 9:13 AM

That old Ickes site at Cermak and State is vacant, but for the children (elementary) to cross that exit and entrance way for I90 - I94 & I55 is too dangerous. That site would be ideal for a local area High School for Chinatown, next to the Teachers Academy, but lets save that for another topic. The site of the old Lakeside Hospital would be ideal (Cermak/Princeton), but it would require sharing or leasing additional space across the alley with the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.

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By Stop taking us for granted from You are not the only game in town
Posted: 06/11/2010 10:41 AM

The message from the People of Chinatown needs to be simple: Alderman, you have until February 2011 to make this happen or we will vote you out of office. Come to think of it, that should be the message to ALL 50 aldermen in Chicago. In any case, it is time for the politicians to stop taking Chinatown for granted.

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By For Community Sakes from Chinatown
Posted: 06/10/2010 8:01 PM

Cermak/22nd Street is a CRAZY & Dangerous street for children, seniors or to anyone crossing - Remember the truck that crashed into the L station. Plus there's 3-5 school from south of Cermak/22nd Street who utilize the current library so it looks like it would be an off-balance to head that way..

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By Solo from Motor Row
Posted: 06/10/2010 10:45 AM

Library at the old Ickes site along with a retail cooridor would fit perfectly. Red Line is there, citizens who live in Hilliard (high Asian community there now) + the school next door makes it ideal.