Cambodian American Heritage Museum: A Story of Remembrance and Renewal
The Cambodian American Heritage Museum has been a place of refuge and renewal in the northwest side neighborhood of Albany Park since 2004. It has been a source of inspiration and hope for many.
The current exhibit dubbed “The Killing Fields Memorial” was conceived by the Cambodian Association of Illinois and born out of the willingness of genocide survivors to share their stories and the determination of family members to make sure their voices are heard.
“Our building was located at Lawrence and Winthrop in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago from the 80s to the early 90s,” said Anneth Houy, CAI director of youth programs and arts and culture coordinator. “Then there was a campaign to find a center for healing and cultural activities that would be central to community members in Albany Park and Uptown. We moved to 2831 W. Lawrence Ave. in 1999 and expanded, into what was once a vacant lot, to build the museum.”
The two-story building, which combines brick, black steel and intricately carved stone sculptures, houses the only public museum and memorial in the United States dedicated to the remembrance of Cambodian people, history and culture.
Tickie’s Belizean Restaurant: A Taste of Central America in Rogers Park
Tickie’s Belizean Restaurant has been serving rice and beans, ginger beer and stew chicken in Rogers Park since 1997. It has become a distinct reminder of home for the thousands of Belizeans who have lived in Chicago since the 1940s.
“My wife Claudia and I picked this location. We actually did some research and found out that there is a huge community of Belizeans here,” said Hubert Young, 57, owner and chef. He has lived in Chicago since 1978.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there are roughly 4,242 Belizeans in the metropolitan area. Aside from Rogers Park, Belizeans have settled in Evanston, Waukegan, Zion and the South Side of Chicago.
Belizean society is just as diverse as its cuisine. “The culture from Belize is a mixture. You have the Spanish, Garifuna (a mix of African, Arawak and Carib ancestry), the local Belizean; it really is like the United Nations,” said Hubert. “You have people from all walks of life. It’s that kind of a country.”
Belize is bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to its south and west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. It is a Central American country that has strong ties to the Caribbean and Latin America; the mixture of influences is evident in the food.
“I come here often because the food tastes good and the flavors are familiar,” said Michael Allen, a transplanted Jamaican who has been a loyal customer for years despite the abundance of Jamaican restaurants in the area.
“You don’t have to be Belizean to feel welcome here. People from all walks of life come in to eat,” said Claudia. “We try to make everyone feel comfortable, feel at home. Hopefully, we give them a reason to come back.”
South Sudan stops oil production over dispute with Sudan
Read my @Storify story: “South Sudan stops oil production over dispute with Sudan”
East Africa Today
For the next few months, I will be covering the news from countries in East Africa. I’ve chosen to focus on stories developing in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan. The challenge in the coming weeks is to report events as they unfold in a world from which we are so far removed yet whose humanity tugs at the very core of our being. As a citizen of the world and as an emerging journalist, it is my responsibility to learn about the plight of fellow human beings and bring to light their triumphs, their pain, their struggles. Through my writing, I hope to spark an interest and continued vigilance on the issues that plague the region of East Africa.
The most recent stories coming out of this area cover the effects of widespread drought and famine, poverty, political unrest caused by warring ethnic groups and government factions, violence against foreign nationals and locals by way of kidnapping, rape and murder, graft and corruption and updates on International Criminal Tribunal for Rwandaand International Criminal Court (Kenya).
I will be following Jeffrey Gettleman (@gettleman), East Africa bureau chief of The New York Times; Tom Rhodes (@africamedia_cpj), East Africa consultant for the Committee to Protect Journalists; David Smith (@SmithInAfrica), Africa correspondent for The Guardian; and Jina Moore (@itsjina), print and multimedia correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor.
See you down the road.
Stephanie Caspelich 