Loom Chicago knits friendships in a refuge from grief and fear
By Jenny Lee Heaps of fabrics and colorful quilts surround a small group of women who are engrossed in discussion – a discussion so fervent that it could last for days. Some wear hijabs while others have indigo dyed silk scarves draped around their necks. The women bring different cultural backgrounds and distinct ideas and […]
China clamps down on homosexual content on TV and online
By Jenny Lee and Ya Zhou Vulgar, immoral and unhealthy. That is how the Chinese government views homosexuality, and that stance became more apparent after the release of a new set of guidelines by one of the main media censorship bodies last December. Reflecting that homosexuality impairs public morality and social stability, the eight-page document […]
Korean-American as art
By Jenny Lee A burst of amber light slices through the darkness, introducing Christina Seo and another improv actress on stage exchanging dialogue. Coming up with the funniest lines possible, Seo slowly gains confidence and comfort from the guffaws of the audience. Everything seems well underway until her white counterpart looks at Seo, who is […]
The Albany Park Theater Project exposes the soul of separated families
Text by Jenny Lee Video by Xiao Lyu Clad in orange jumpsuits, a group of high school students carrying large suitcases trudged onto the center stage. Heads down with hands, feet and waists shackled, they took a seat on their suitcases while two girls dressed as nuns slithered through the “criminals” and settled in front […]
At clubs like Stone Park’s Playpen, sex work no fun and games
By Rebekah Frumkin and Jenny Lee To an observer, it looks like a slow night at The Playpen in Stone Park: A few customers linger around the bar while two more play a leisurely game of pool. But for 26-year-old Naperville native Natalie Escobar, it’s a night to make money. “It’s good to have customers […]
Gay Chinese Americans are caught in a tug-of-war
By Jenny Lee and Ya Zhou Disoriented by the constant tug-of-war in China over homosexuality, gay Chinese Americans are looking for support in the United States, where same-sex marriage is legal. What they are facing is the conflict between their gender identity and the traditional values their parents hold, but with family lying at at […]
New WINGS Metro women’s shelter opens on Southwest Side
Text by Elyse Samuels Audio by Jenny Lee “To have something that can save other women’s lives,” Amanda Sexton said referring to her mother’s death, “that really means a lot to us.” Amanda’s mother, Brenda Sexton, was a Chicago police officer in the 9th Police District. She died at the hands of her abusive boyfriend […]
Ballots in Korean for March 15 primary expected to increase participation
By Jenny Lee Korean-Americans in Chicago and suburban Cook County can no longer ascribe their low participation in elections to what usually is the biggest challenge for many minority language speakers – reading and speaking in English. Prior to the 2016 Presidential election, The Chicago Board of Election and The Cook County Clerk decided to […]
North Korean’s divine revelation brings him to Chicago
By Jenny Lee On the northernmost headland of the world’s most reclusive country, North Korea, there stood young Jon Nam Kim’s home, overlooking a beautiful landscape of cliffs rising sheer from the East Sea and mountains brimming with larches, pines and pear trees. Now thousands of miles away, his old stomping ground has become a […]
Anger erupts over “comfort women” settlement between Japan and South Korea
By Jenny Lee and Jenny G. Zhang Min-Ah Cho feels like the last 20 years have been wasted. Cho visited Chicago for a demonstration last Wednesday to protest a recent settlement reached by the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea to end the two countries’ long-standing dispute over Japan’s sexual enslavement of thousands of […]
