Pearl Harbor and the Enduring Legacy of War
By Duke Omara Seventy-five years ago, on Dec. 7, 1941, a Japanese strike force consisting of six aircraft carriers descended on the territory of Hawaii and unleashed a ferocious aerial raid on the American naval base of Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island. Less than two hours after the first Japanese aircraft appeared over the horizon, […]
Assyrians around the world ring in the new year with hope for a new spring
By Hannah Gebresilassie Assyrians in Chicago, and around the world, celebrate Kha b-Nisan, or the Assyrian new year. Milad Shaer, owner of Milo’s Pita, joined thousands in a Chicago-held parade to celebrate 7,000 years of Assyrian heritage. Their ancestry traces back to the ancient Assyrian empire in the prehistoric Middle East and present day Iraq, […]
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 […]
Paralympic swimmer stared down death, now hopes to compete in Rio
By Michelle R. Martinelli COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — U.S. Army Sgt. Elizabeth Marks, 25, suffered bilateral hip injuries during a tour in Iraq, endured four surgeries in 18 months and almost died from respiratory distress in a British hospital. She said swimming saved what she cherishes most — her military career. It also saved her […]
Immigrant mother of deceased veteran fights to keep family together
By Hannah Rank Olivia Segura remembers it in bits and pieces. The before and after. Everything before hearing the news is clear and chronological. Everything after is hazy and nightmarish. [Listen to Olivia Segura tell her story below.] “They asked me if I had any sickness, if my heart was okay,” she recalls. “I knew […]
