SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY IN CHICAGO
The South Side Weekly is an independent non-profit newspaper by and for the South Side of Chicago. We provide high-quality, critical arts and public interest coverage, and equip and develop journalists, artists, photographers, and mediamakers of all backgrounds.
Volume 11, Issue 13
Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline Serrato
Managing Editor Adam Przybyl
Investigations Editor Jim Daley
Senior Editors Martha Bayne Christopher Good Olivia Stovicek Sam Stecklow Alma Campos
Politics Editor J. Patrick Patterson
Music Editor Jocelyn Martínez-Rosales
Immigration Editor Wendy Wei
Community Builder Chima Ikoro
Public Meetings Editor Scott Pemberton
Visuals Editor Kayla Bickham
Deputy Visuals Editor Shane Tolentino
Staff Illustrators Mell Montezuma Shane Tolentino
Staff Reporter Michael Liptrot
Director of Fact Checking: Savannah Hugueley
Fact Checkers: Patrick Edwards Arieon Whittsey Christopher Good Mo Dunne
Layout Editor Tony Zralka
Interim
Executive Director Malik Jackson
Office Manager Mary Leonard
Advertising Manager Susan Malone
Webmaster Pat Sier
The Weekly publishes online weekly and in print every other Thursday. We seek contributions from all over the city.
Send submissions, story ideas, comments, or questions to editor@southsideweekly.com or mail to:
South Side Weekly
6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Chicago, IL 60637
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For general inquiries, please call: (773) 643-8533
A house of stones and glass
At a July 13 campaign rally outside Pittsburgh, a would-be assassin fired three shots at former President Donald Trump, grazing his right ear. Trump dove to the podium and was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents who whisked him off stage, but not before he posed for a photo. Blood streaking his face, the former president pumped his fist in the air and shouted “Fight! Fight! Fight!” The crowd roared in response. Two rally attendees were also shot, one fatally. On Monday, the dead victim’s wife told the New York Post that President Joe Biden called her to offer condolences (she declined to take the call, citing her husband’s “devout” Republicanism). Trump had not.
Many in the crowd turned on journalists after the shooting, cursing and extending middle fingers. Since the shooting, right-wing pundits have accused both the media and Democrats of demonizing Trump as a would-be dictator and causing the attempted assassination. But the alleged shooter, a twenty-year-old white man, was described as “conservative” by former classmates and is a registered Republican. Plenty of Trump’s detractors in his own party have described him as a demagogue, including some who later became his sycophants. In perhaps the most striking example, Sen. J.D. Vance, who Trump announced as his running mate on Monday, privately called him “America’s Hitler” in 2016.
During Trump’s presidency, the nation saw a sharp rise in right-wing extremism. It culminated in an unprecedented orgy of violence on January 6, 2021, when Trump incited his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol in what has been described as an attempted coup. Vance is his V.P. pick in part because former Vice President Mike Pence was threatened with hanging during the insurrection for refusing to overturn the 2020 election results. Reporting the news is not inciting violence. Trump has done that himself, over and over again.
The Roseland Pumping Station and all its woes
Last Tuesday, July 10, a high-pressure water main leak at the 110-year-old Roseland Pumping Station led to a 24-hour boil order for parts of Beverly, Morgan Park, Auburn Gresham, and Mount Greenwood. This is the same pumping station that failed in 2021, where a similar boil order was issued to the surrounding community. With environmental concerns and the dilapidation of old infrastructure rising to the forefront of state and local policy platforms, the Weekly has been pointing its eye toward the system in its entirety.
The Roseland Pumping Station on 347 West 104th Street (19th Ward) is one of twelve strategically placed pumping stations around the city. It transports 39 billion gallons of drinking water annually and is said to be pumped to over 750,000 Chicagoans throughout the South Side and south suburbs. The pumping station is located next to a ComEd vault, which feeds electricity to the station.
In 2021, a boil order was issued when a power outage at the pumping station caused an equipment failure, which prompted the Office of the Inspector General to investigate the pumping station’s systems. The finding was that the pumping station was running on the wrong batteries. The result of this was a dispute between city officials and ComEd about whether ComEd was responsible for the failure or if city officials did not properly procure the batteries necessary to keep its own technology running. The conclusion was that the city was using an outdated pumping system.
As water, power, and other underlying tenets of the city’s infrastructure age and fall under scrutiny, it will be of vital importance that the city departments responsible for maintaining and updating these systems are well-funded and wellequipped.
Summer music in Chicago
In a city as big and diverse as Chicago, there’s more than one music genre to dominate the summer music scene—that is, if one still believes in boundaries for what defines any genre. Earlier this month, House Music 40 in Grant Park celebrated forty years since the first house record was pressed and sold to the public. In a seamless transition, last weekend on Oakwood Beach, Miche Fest celebrated the Latin rhythms and percussive beats that influenced the multi-layered disco tracks of the seventies—the very records that early house records sampled, copied, or riffed off. Miche Fest blended the sounds of Afrobeats, house, juke, reggaeton and more into a two-day celebration of international and homegrown música latina, a genre that’s proven amorphous and adaptable over generations and continents.
IN THIS ISSUE
last-minute lobbying blocks progressive cannabis reform in illinois
The bill would have made medical cannabis more accessible for people in the state.
alejandro hernandez 4
dj mo mami is transforming the scene with with inclusivity, activism and a global sound
The Pilsen DJ is featured at this year’s Miche Fest at Oakwood Beach.
layla brown-clark................................. 6
public meetings report
A recap of select open meetings at the local, county, and state level.
scott pemberton and documenters .... 8
south side michelada festival triumphs in new location
Miche Fest delivers at Oakwood Beach with top acts, local talent, and vibrant Latinx culture.
jocelyn martinez-rosales 9
michelada fest triunfa en su nueva ubicación
Miche Fest se lleva a cabo en la Playa Oakwood con grandes actuaciones, talento local y un vibrante ambiente latine. por jocelyn martinez-rosales traducido por alma campos ............... 11
putting regular people on tv
Former South Side writer and actor Diallo Riddle on real-life inspirations for Alderman Gayle, diversity challenges in the industry, and capturing the hustler spirit.
cordell longstreath 14
drawing attention to chicago’s south asian queer history
Q&A with South Asia Institute curator Ankit Khadgi on the importance of knowing your history and his new exhibition, People Who Came Before Us.
mrittika ghosh 17
the exchange
The Weekly’s poetry corner offers our thoughts in exchange for yours chima ikoro, lauriel brooks 19
Cover photo by Jordan Esparza
Last-Minute Lobbying Blocks Progressive Cannabis Reform in Illinois
The bill would have made medical cannabis more accessible for people in the state.
BY ALEJANDRO HERNÁNDEZ
In May, grassroots advocates in Springfield helped create a groundbreaking cannabis reform package that would help Illinois move closer to being the “most-equity centric” legal cannabis state that Governor JB Pritzker has boasted about since legalizing cannabis in 2020. After years of advocacy work, a vote from lawmakers to turn this package into reality seemed within reach, until powerful lobbyists descended into the State Capitol over the Memorial Day weekend to block it.
Advocates from cannabis organizations forming the Alliance for Cannabis Equity (ACE) in Springfield assembled an omnibus package for the State Assembly. HB 2911, the 300-page proposal, contained reforms such as changes to the background-check system to allow individuals with criminal records to enter the cannabis industry, antitrust laws that would stop companies from forming monopolies, and expanding medical patient access to all dispensaries in the state. But according to its backers, lobbyists representing one of Illinois’ largest cannabis operators, Green Thumb Industries (GTI) quashed the bill. According to the watchdog website Open Secrets, GTI spent $20,000 on lobbying firm Akin, Gump et al in the first quarter of 2024.
“Everybody was comfortable with [HB 2911]. Seemed like it was a done deal, and so the coalition left Springfield the Friday of Memorial Day weekend,” said Peter Contos, deputy director of the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition
(CEIC), one of the organizations in ACE.
“We get a call the next day, the Saturday of a holiday weekend at probably 8:00 or 8:30 at night, with the confirmation that GTI was specifically targeting the medical patient expansion and really trying to derail all the progress that we had made thus far.”
Recreational cannabis use was legalized in 2020, and the state currently has over 170 licensed dispensaries. Only fifty-five of those are licensed for medicinal cannabis, including several locations in GTI’s RISE chain. If medical patients want to receive their full medical benefits, which include an increased
purchase limit of 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 1 percent state retail tax, they don’t have many options, which can force them to either drive miles out their way or shell out extra cash at a recreational facility. HB 2911 would have eliminated this issue.
According to a public statement from GTI, the bill included “language that was neither operationally viable nor comprehensive enough for what Illinois patients deserve.”
GTI did not respond to the Weekly’s request for comment.
“Springfield is a complicated place. If you don’t have money, it’s a very difficult place to get your work done,” Contos said. “If it was up to us, we would have passed this bill in the very beginning [of] the legislative session…. And so for them to wait till the very last minute to even work on the cannabis stuff, and then to be sidetracked because a bunch of rich people sent their lobbyists to mislead our politicians, it’s definitely not the first time we have been thrown through a loop like this.”
After the vote, the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition (CEIC) released a call to action on their social media calling for a boycott against GTI and their brands, such as Rhythm, Incredibles, and Dogwalkers, as well as their RISE dispensaries. The movement quickly gained traction, particularly on the r/ ILtrees subreddit, garnering support from across the state. Sway, a dispensary in Northalsted, released a statement saying they will no longer carry GTI products.
Canna Equity Coalition Action Fund
According to Katie Sullivan, cofounder of integrated health clinic Modern Compassionate Care and board member of the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board for Illinois, the response from her patients has been “livid.”
“We already pay some of the highest prices in the country for cannabis here, and these people are paying all out of pocket,” Sullivan said. “I work with a lot of people that are terminally ill. I work with a lot of pediatric patients who have very specific medical needs, and limiting access for these people, it's just wrong. It’s making their lives a lot more difficult, and it doesn’t really serve anyone but the businesses that have these exclusive medical licenses.”
Sullivan added that expanding medical access to all dispensaries has been by far the biggest request from the patients she works with, and that it’s been something advocates have been working on for more than three years. She also noted that some of the new adult-use dispensaries that have been opening are under social equity licenses, but are prevented from serving medical patients, so expanded access would be a win-win. Some dispensaries offer some form of discount to medical patients, according to Sullivan, but in doing so they have to eat the costs.
“[Medical patients] really feel like the state doesn’t care about them,” Sullivan said. “They feel like that since the adult use program has started, that’s really what the state and the businesses are focused on, and that medical patients’ needs have kind of gone by the wayside… We have to keep fighting. And these are sick people. They’re already fighting. They don’t have time to go down to Springfield and protest, so we need the state to do the right thing here.”
A medical patient and former employee of RISE Dispensry’s Mundelein location who requested to remain anonymous said the news of GTI’s lobbying push was unsurprising.
“Obviously, we know that cannabis isn’t the only industry that’s run like this, but I feel like as a medical patient, this hits a little closer to home for [us] on
a level that has to do with our personal rights and medicine,” they said. “There was always a big disconnect between the culture and the company… but that’s corporate cannabis for you.”
The former employee said they
“There’s some people that come in and couldn’t care less, and when I try to bring up that stuff, they just roll their eyes,” they said. “But then I have some people that actually hear me out that seem to be more connected and want to
“It’s definitely not the first time we have been thrown through a loop like this.”
hope the boycott can be a turning point though, and that other states see Illinois as an example of what not to do in regards to legalization. Now working at another dispensary, they said they try to educate customers about GTI’s actions and the ongoing boycott.
know about those kinds of things, and are curious about why things are the way they are here in Illinois.”
According to a recent Instagram post, directors from CEIC were able to meet with GTI’s leadership to discuss the events in Springfield. However, CEIC
claimed that GTI came into the meeting unprepared, and despite being concerned about the bill’s viability, still have not pointed out any specific problematic language.
“The position we’ve taken right now is because GTI did this very deliberate act to stab everybody in the back, GTI needs to bear the brunt of all of this,” Contos said. “That is in no way a defense of Cresco, Pharmacann, Verano, or any of the other members of the Cannabis Business Association, because they have stifled progress the whole time. If folks want to boycott those other companies, we are no way opposed to that, but at this specific time…we have to really double down and make sure [GTI] specifically understands that they cannot cross the cannabis community any longer.”
CEIC released a comprehensive list of the different ways that members of the cannabis community can participate in this boycott available on social media. For example, medical patients are encouraged to buy their medication from another source, but for those who may not have reliable access outside of their local GTI store, are encouraged to express their dissatisfaction to management about the company’s actions in Springfield. According to Contos, it is essential for members of the cannabis community to have all hands on board in supporting the coalition with this boycott.
“We have to stay focused, keep building this community, keep building our power,” Contos said. “Things will not change until we take ownership and knock all these systems down.”¬
Alejandro Hernández is a freelance writer born and raised in Chicago. Growing up in the city gave him the sense of perspective that can be found in his work. With combined experience doing broadcast and written journalism, Alejandro has been actively documenting the stories of everyday Chicagoans for over seven years.
Canna Equity Coalition Action Fund
DJ Mo Mami Is Transforming the Scene with with Inclusivity, Activism and a Global Sound
The Pilsen DJ is featured at this year’s Miche Fest at Oakwood Beach.
BY LAYLA BROWN-CLARK
DJing is more than playing music for a crowd longing to dance and let loose; it is also about creating inclusive spaces and reading the crowd. Ashley De La Torre, who DJs under the moniker Mo Mami, has been spinning records professionally since 2019. The Pilsen resident first debuted after curating and throwing parties with Babes Only, a woman-owned not-forprofit organization dedicated to inspiring, empowering, and educating women and is known for hosting workshops and parties throughout the city. Evanesica Thompson started the organization in 2016 as a space for herself and women in Chicago to find a greater and deeper connection to the city.
Mo Mami started as a party hostess for Babes Only before Thompson asked her if she’d ever considered DJing. Thompson first started blogging as EvieTheCool in 2011 before starting the Babes Only venture and becoming a DJ in 2015.
“I [had] never seen a woman DJ up there until I met her,” Mo Mami said about Thompson. “Seeing her gave me the representation that I could do it too. From there, I got curious, started making beats, and immersing myself in the scene until one year in 2018, I got a DJ controller for Christmas and never looked back.”
With Thompson’s mentorship and lots of practice under her belt, Mo Mami, twenty-eight, soon began to DJ bigger events from Wicker Park Fest to Lollapalooza. Her sound captivated audiences in cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, and New York. Her mixes have been featured at places such as at WNDR Museum in Chicago and at
Blind Barber in New York City.
In May, Mo Mami DJed at Pilsen’s first-ever Margarita Fest, where her signature blend of worldwide influences shone in her set, dazzling her audience and immersing them in an unforgettable music experience.
“I knew I wanted to be there to be a core Latin influence and then I built around that and took it around the world from Latin America and expanded out,” she said.
This summer, Mo Mami has hosted two of her monthly Fever Dream Worldwide rave experiences: in June at The Giant Penny Whistle, and in July at Navy Pier. Over the Fourth of July weekend, she was the main DJ for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race.
This weekend, Mo Mami will
perform at Miche Fest, a Latinx festival (now in its sixth year) at Oakwood Beach, among a lineup that includes DJ Jade, DJ Mochi, and Mamicana.
“I consider myself a global girl. I like to play different languages, vibes, and tempos. I like to go around the world, especially being rooted in Chicago. A lot of my songs are rooted in the ghetto, tech, juke, house [genre] That is where I feel comfortable,” she said, “I want people to come to my set and feel seen no matter where they’re from.”
Mo Mami further established herself with her brainchild, Fever Dream Worldwide, a concept that came to her after an intense dream during the 2020 pandemic. She wanted to open the space back to BIPOC, LGBTQ+ people, and others to capture the essence of being
youthful. These raves are dance parties held at venues in Pilsen that provide a safe space for those who are looking for a community-oriented rave experience.
“Fever Dream was the trickiest thing I could think of,” Mo Mami said. “The concept itself came from this desire to bring this underground free, Black, Brown, queer, and electronic sound back to the South Side and Chicago in a way that Europe commodified the underground.”
Offering a warm welcome to people of all cultures and identities doesn’t stop in the DJ booth. From wearing a keffiyeh during her Margarita Fest set to opening up and moderating a mental health panel for Babes Only, her role as an activist played an important role before her career as a DJ, dating back to high school.
“I remember I went to my first protest downtown with some friends,” she said. “I believe it was for an incident that happened to someone named Tamir Rice. Something about it just spoke to me.”
Mo Mami initially aspired to become a lawyer to help those who needed it most. Now, her mixes help people unwind and dance.
“I always say that I think I help more people than I ever could have as a DJ, than I would have as a lawyer,” she said. “When I'm DJing, there are 500 people in the room who are relying on me for a good night from whatever kind of day they had. To me, that's a responsibility I hold with so much pride.” ¬
Layla Brown-Clark is a Morgan Park journalist passionate about telling arts and culture stories about the South Side. This is their first article for the Weekly.
Mo Mami, also known as Ashley De La Torre, says her career has put her in many spaces she could have never imagined. When she’s not behind the decks, she is often in the spotlight for events that uplift BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices in the industry, and supports activism efforts with Palestine, Congo, and more.
Photo by Layla Brown-Clark
Festival-goers dance among friends and strangers as Mo
creates an atmosphere that slowly begins to bring everyone together. She aims to create sets that transport her listeners around the world through music.
“I want people to come to my set and feel seen no matter where they’re from.”
Mo Mami kicks off her set at Margarita Fest on Sunday, May 19, 2024. She has been DJing since 2019 after being introduced to the craft through the Babes Only organization.
Photo by Layla Brown-Clark
Mami
On Monday, May 20, with Babes Only, Mo Mami participated in a mental health panel featuring women in various industries in Chicago and had a fruitful conversation about mental health and staying encouraged through tough seasons of life. Photo by Layla Brown-Clark
Mo Mami’s efforts as a creative do not stop at her sets; she also works to bring other creatives’ stories to the greater Chicago public. On Friday, May 31, she organized a panel opening the conversation on how to make rave spaces safer for newcomers to the scene.
Photo by Layla Brown-Clark
Most of Mo Mami’s parties take place in the Pilsen area and are free. As a South Sider, she is passionate about giving back the stage performances she has done at larger-scale festivals to her community.
Photo by Layla Brown-Clark
Fever Dream Worldwide brings together the greater South Side, highlighting Mo Mami’s aim to take partygoers around the world through music. The global rave experience brings individuals together and is welcoming to all Chicagoans regardless of their identity.
Photo by Layla Brown-Clark
Public Meetings Report
growing tensions amid global and local crises, including the increase in migrant arrivals in Chicago and the Israel-Hamas war. The commission recommended that the City Council pass a proposed ordinance against hate littering (the distribution of hateful flyers or other materials), optimize police and 311 staffing models, and implement anti-hate educational programs for young people. Council Member Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward) said that data does not reflect offenses against people whose marginalized identities might overlap, including LGTBQ+ and BIPOC individuals, and expressed concern about such Chicagoans being overlooked.
illustration by Holley Appold/South Side Weekly
A recap of select open meetings at the local, county, and state level.
BY SCOTT PEMBERTON AND DOCUMENTERS
June 26
To head off concerns about another “botched” demolition, Chicago public health officials fielded questions during a one and a half hour Little Village Complex Demolition Hearing. The planned demolition of a warehouse and former Peoples Gas plant at 3600 S. Kostner Ave. has been scheduled for this summer. Identified by the state as an “environmentally complex demolition,” the project has sparked objections stemming from a similar case back in April 2020, when the demolition of an old coal plant’s smokestack covered Little Village in a cloud of dust. A $12.25 million class action lawsuit alleging that the company behind that demolition, Hilco Redevelopment, had demonstrated a “blatant disregard for the safety of the community” was approved by a federal judge earlier this year. Eligible residents who filed claims by March 26 could receive cash payments of between $200 and $400. Residents remain concerned about health impacts over time as well as the diesel trucks coming and going from the new warehouse. In the hearing, Chicago Department of Public Health representatives answered some questions about safety, dust control, and related environmental and health problems. Little Village residents worried about the Kostner plant demolition didn’t come away with much additional information about the use of the site, especially the nature and amount of potential diesel truck traffic it could bring to the neighborhood.
A public commenter at a Chicago Department of Public Health Board of Health meeting complained that the city wasn’t doing enough to help residents weather high temperatures throughout the summer. All but one of the city’s cooling centers and libraries were allegedly closed on Juneteenth, when temperatures reached ninety-five degrees. The city’s six cooling centers, managed by the Office of Emergency Management and Communication (OEMC) and the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), are open only when staff are available. The commenter asked the Department of Health to provide more heat mitigation services and to extend the hours of the locations available. Public officials, health experts, and advocates for the homeless and elderly joined in slamming the City’s response. Three City Council members—Andre Vasquez (40th Ward), Maria Hadden (49th Ward), and Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25h Ward)— are co-sponsoring a resolution calling for improved communication and coordination among the responsible departments. Once introduced, the resolution would go to the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety. The resolution criticizes the departments for “conflicting definitions and communication materials” in connection with providing services. It also states that “extreme weather response plans [lack] specificity and clarity for the public and other service providers.”
June 27
At their meeting, members of the Chicago City Council Joint Committee: Health and Human Relations and Public Safety discussed measures to combat hate crimes. The Chicago Commission on Human Relations’ annual report on the subject noted
A nearly seven-hour meeting of the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education saw public commenters decry the layoffs of some 600 CPS support staff. Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) members say students will not receive the education benefits full staffing brings. The layoffs affect teacher aides, custodians, restorative justice coordinators, and others. CPS CEO Pedro Martinez empathized, but stated that a $400 million deficit had driven the layoffs. The district is also overhauling the way its budget works, Martinez reminded the board. The revised budget process will allocate resources based on the needs of students instead of enrollment statistics. The Board was also updated on school improvements and success planning for Black students. A CTU representative called for fair and equitable goals during upcoming contract negotiations. He also supported the roles of special education and bilingual teachers and argued they should not be fired or forced to reapply for positions at the same schools. Several other public commenters expressed their positions on a variety of topics, such as school choice, closing the achievement gap between Black students and other groups, and renovating CPS buildings to address climate change. The board also heard three staff presentations on continuous improvement and data transparency, end-of-year data, and Black student success. The latter presentation recommended support for a culturally responsive curriculum, more aggressive recruitment of Black educators, improvements for facilities, partnerships with communities, and improved educational access.
At its first public meeting, the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA)—a seven-member, civilian-led body created in July 2021 to add civilian oversight to police operations—faced public commenters who called for a hearing to limit police authority to pull drivers over in “pretextual” traffic stops. Such stops are seen by critics as a pretense for unwarranted vehicle searches. The shooting death of Dexter Reed, twenty-six years old, in March of this year was a topic of intense discussion: “These stops increase unnecessary encounters between everyday citizens and special militarized tactical units,” one commenter said, as quoted in Block Club Chicago: “Any of these interactions could easily escalate to a killing, as we saw in the case of Dexter Reed.” Police stopped Reed for an alleged seatbelt violation and fired almost one hundred shots after Reed reportedly fired first. His death was later ruled a homicide. Remel Terry, interim commissioner for the CCPSA, stated that the “commission does not have the authority to abolish pretextual stops.”
July 2
The Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights at its meeting heard from several public commenters and organization representatives about providing for new immigrants. “The challenges Chicago has faced with new arrivals stem from the fact that our social safety net has never been adequate to support the community,” said Dulce Guzman, deputy director of institutional development at Alianza Americas, a network of migrant-led advocacy groups. She continued: “The federal government has failed to change the way we view migrants.” One speaker asked that the sixty-day limit for asylum-seeker shelters be extended, and three objected to what they called unequal resource distribution for Black and non-Black immigrants. One commenter complained that “y’all don’t consider the Black American plight, while you put so much money into this new arrivals initiative.” Issues affecting Ecuadorian and Colombian arrivals were addressed by commenters and, noted a representative from Chicago Asian Americans for Environmental Justice, climate change must be considered for its role in migration and Chicago’s responsibility for new arrivals. Commenters also argued that the Chicago Police Department denies requests for U visas—those assigned to victims who have helped law enforcement with a criminal investigation—at a significantly higher rate than other large cities. Injustice Watch data from 2021 showed that Chicago denied U visas at a 51.8 percent rate, compared to Houston at approximately 38 percent and Los Angeles and New York City both at 21 percent.
This information was collected and curated by the Weekly in large part using reporting from City Bureau’s Documenters at documenters.org.
South Side Michelada Festival Triumphs in New Location
Miche Fest delivers at Oakwood Beach with top acts, local talent, and vibrant Latinx culture.
BY JOCELYN MARTINEZ-ROSALES
Last weekend, Miche Fest returned to the South Side, putting international stars side by side with local vendors, DJs, and artists. For its sixth year, the festival—named in homage to micheladas, the spicy Mexican drink— moved from Pilsen’s Harrison Park to Oakwood Beach in Kenwood, where it delivered a weekend with headliners Kali Uchis, Chino Pacas, Luis R. Conriquez and Junior H. Despite its exponential growth, at its core, Miche Fest continued to uplift local vendors, DJs, and artists alike.
The festival consisted of two stages, one of which was solely dedicated to beloved local DJs like Mista Ricksta, Mo
Mami, MAMICANA, Pablo Serrano, Nanoos, Chava, M-Dok and more.
“It's a homegrown festival, and I’m from Chicago. I no longer live in Chicago, and so coming home for this just felt really special,” said MAMICANA, who flew in from New York City to perform at the festival. She closed out the Playa stage the first night of the festival, delivering a set filled with sounds running from Afrobeats to juke to reggaeton: a little bit of something for everyone.
“We love house music, and so I think that helped me build my foundation of who I am as an artist and what genres I want to push while also honoring where I’m from,” MAMICANA said, describing
what sets a Chicago crowd apart and how that’s shaped her career.
It was also special for these DJs to be in a lineup filled with familiar faces and colleagues.
“She killed that shit last night,” DJ Nanoos said, referencing MAMICANA. The Palestinian American DJ co-hosts dance parties with MAMICANA in Chicago and New York under Go Baba! Worldwide and GYRATE. This time, she tailored her set for the Latinx crowd.
“It was really cool to be able to just focus on finding songs and things that feel like it’s still me, but also caters to the environment that I’m in,” Nanoos said.
Miche Fest also invited Chicago DJ
Mista Ricksta. It was his festival debut, which he described as an honor. “Back in the day, when [Miche Fest was] at Harrison Park, I would just stay pulling up to them,” he said.
Like Mista Ricksta, many of the DJs on the Playa stage had been to the festival as attendees in the past, and now got the opportunity to show out. Mista Ricksta, who has only been DJing for a little over a year, got behind the decks for an early set on the first day, setting the tone for the rest of the weekend.
“I came with anything from reggaeton edits, remixes, some huarachas to some house edits,” he said. “Let me show you how we get down!”
This year’s Michelada Festival was hosted on the lake at Oakwood Beach.
Photo by Jesus J. Montero
Kombi Chicago, a Latinx event production collective, pulled up and stationed their namesake party bus—a Volkswagen bus or combi—at the entrance of the festival, and hosted a DJ lineup of their own. DJ Flores Negras was throwing down on Saturday, welcoming festival attendees with her distinctive blend of dark wave and cumbia.
“You always need representation in every city when there’s a big festival; it’s good to highlight people,” Flores Negras said. Flores Negras hosts several parties throughout the city, including Cumbia y Los Goths and FILTH, which cater toward underground ravers.
Next to the Kombi bus, was an artist village curated by Pilsen artist Sentrock, with canvases stationed for live murals. Some of the muralists who joined Sentrock included Fedz, Kozmo, PabsPrints, Birdmilk, and more.
Vendors were lined up in a corridor down the middle of the festival, serving up a myriad of Latinx food and (of course, micheladas). Copa America games played on a large screen. And on Saturday, Kali Uchis closed out the night with a melodic, dreamy performance.
Poor weather caused some delays on
the first day, and the chance of storms bled into the second day. Local Mexican regional groups El Malo and Los KBros were dropped from the lineup, and the festival was forced to start at a later time.
But the rest of the day continued as planned. Chino Pacas even brought out his daughter during his performance, reminding us all that Miche is still a family affair and an all-ages festival.
Junior H closed out the event with a stellar performance, complete with a fireworks display that rivaled any in the city. He ended the night with “Disfruto lo Malo”—a fan favorite from him and Natanael Cano’s 2019 album Corridos Tumbados, and the anthem for those passionate about corridos verdes (ballads about cannabis).
By the end of the weekend, Miche Fest was able to keep its identity despite larger programming and a new venue. It still felt like a community festival at heart.¬
Jocelyn Martinez-Rosales is a MexicanAmerican independent journalist from Belmont Cragin who is passionate about covering communities of color with a social justice lens. She’s also the music editor at the Weekly
Flores Negras never fails to mix crowd favorites with dark new wave sounds for a unique set.
Photo by Jordan Esparza
MAMICANA poses minutes before her set at the Playa stage. Photo by Jordan Esparza
Chicago DJ Mista Ricksta made his festival debut on the first day of Michelada. Photo by Jesus J. Montero
Michelada Fest triunfa en su nueva ubicación
Miche Fest se lleva a cabo en la Playa Oakwood con grandes actuaciones, talento local y un vibrante ambiente latine.
POR
JOCELYN MARTINEZ-ROSALES TRADUCIDO POR ALMA CAMPOS
Michelada Festival regresó al sur de Chicago en su sexto año y esta vez lo hizo en la Playa Oakwood en el vecindario de Kenwood. El festival, que rinde homenaje a la picante bebida mexicana, se trasladó del Parque Harrison de Pilsen para ofrecer un fin de semana con artistas como Kali Uchis, Chino Pacas, Luis R. Conriquez y Junior H. A pesar de su crecimiento exponencial, Miche Fest apoyó a vendedores, DJs y artistas locales por igual.
El festival contó con dos escenarios, uno de ellos dedicado exclusivamente a los queridos DJ locales como Mista Ricksta, Mo Mami, Pablo Serrano, MAMICANA, Nanoos, Chava, M-Dok y muchos más.
“Es un festival local, y soy de Chicago. Ya no vivo en Chicago, así que volver a casa para esto fue muy especial”, dijo MAMICANA que voló de Nueva York para presentarse en el festival. MAMICANA cerró el escenario Playa la primera noche del festival con una actuación repleta de sonidos desde ritmos afro hasta “juke” y reggaeton, un poco de todo para todos.
“Nos encanta la música house, y creo que eso me ayudó a sentar las bases de quién soy como artista y qué géneros quiero impulsar, honrando al mismo tiempo de dónde soy”, dijo MAMICANA, describiendo lo que diferencia a un público de Chicago del resto y de cómo esto ha moldeado su carrera.
También fue especial para estos
pinchadiscos estar en una alineación llena de caras conocidas y colegas. “Anoche arrasó”, dijo DJ Nanoos, refiriéndose a MAMICANA. La DJ palestino-
estadounidense organiza fiestas de baile con MAMICANA en Chicago y Nueva York bajo Go Baba! Worldwide y GYRATE. Esta vez, adaptó su actuación
a un público latine.
“Fue fantástico poder dedicarme sólo a buscar canciones y cosas que me hicieran sentir que sigo siendo yo, pero que también se adaptan al ambiente en el que estoy”, dijo Nanoos.
Miche Fest también invitó al DJ de Chicago Mista Ricksta. Era su debut en el festival, lo cual, dijo, es todo un honor: “Antes, cuando [Miche Fest se celebraba] en Harrison Park, siempre solía ir”, dijo. Al igual que Mista Ricksta, muchos de estos DJs acudieron al festival comunitario como asistentes y ahora han tenido la oportunidad de presentarse. Mista Ricksta, que sólo lleva poco más de un año como DJ, llegó temprano el primer día, sellando el tono para el resto del fin de semana.
“Vine con todo, desde ediciones de reggaetón, mezclas, algunas huarachas hasta cortes de house”, dijo Mista Ricksta exclamando, “déjenme les muestro cómo bailamos”.
Kombi Chicago, un colectivo latine de producción de eventos, estacionó su autobús de fiesta móvil, un Volkswagen combi, en la entrada del festival e invitó a su propia alineación de DJs. La DJ Flores Negras empezó el sábado, dando la bienvenida a los asistentes al festival con su inconfundible estilo de cumbia “dark wave”.
“Siempre se necesita representación en todas las ciudades cuando hay un gran festival; es bueno dar a conocer a las personas”, dijo Flores Negras. Flores Negras organiza varias fiestas por toda la
Luis R. Conriquez regresa a Chicago para su tercer concierto.
ciudad dirigidas a un público underground de estilo rave con eventos como Cumbia y Los Goths y FILTH.
Junto al escenario Kombi había un área para artistas visuales donde el artista, Pilsen Sentrock, pintaba murales. Algunos de los muralistas que acompañaron a Sentrock fueron Fedz, Kozmo, Pabsprints y Birdmilk, entre otros. El área de artistas visuales no es nada nuevo en el festival, sino más bien una tradición que los organizadores dicen que esperan continuar.
Los vendedores de comida se acomodaron en el centro del festival, sirviendo una gran variedad de comida latina y, por supuesto, micheladas. Los partidos de la Copa América se retransmitían en una gran pantalla. Kali Uchis cerró la primera noche con una presentación melódica y ensoñadora.
El mal clima provocó algunos retrasos en el primer día, y la posibilidad de tormentas se dejó sentir en el segundo. Los grupos regionales mexicanos El Malo y Los KBros fueron eliminados de la programación y el festival tuvo que iniciarse más tarde.
El resto del día continuó según lo planeado. Chino Pacas trajo a su hija durante su concierto y nos recordó a todos que el festival sigue siendo un evento familiar y para todos los públicos.
Junior H cerró el evento con una presentación estelar que se completó con un espectáculo de fuegos artificiales a la altura de cualquier otro de la ciudad. Terminó la noche con “Disfruto lo Malo”, un favorito de los fans del álbum del 2019, Corridos Tumbados, suyo y de Natanael Cano y el himno para muchos fans de los corridos “verdes” sobre el cannabis.
Miche Fest fue capaz de mantener su estilo y propia identidad a pesar de una programación más amplia y un nuevo lugar. En el fondo, seguía sintiéndose como un festival comunitario. ¬
Jocelyn Martínez-Rosales es una periodista independiente mexicoamericana de Belmont Cragin a quien le apasiona cubrir noticias acerca de las comunidades de color con un enfoque en la justicia social. También es la editora de música para el Weekly
Carlos Ramos, fundador de Up Elevated Cocktails, posó con su carrito de paletas mientras vendía paletas heladas con THC a la multitud.
Los asistentes al festival disfrutaron del horizonte mientras el escenario iluminaba el evento.
Chino Pacas lleva a su hija ante la multitud de Chicago al comienzo de su actuación. Foto por Jesus J. Montero
Putting Regular People on TV
Former South Side writer and actor Diallo
Riddle on real-life inspirations for Alderman Gayle, diversity challenges in the industry, and capturing the hustler spirit.
BY CORDELL LONGSTREATH
Diallo Riddle was one of the lead writers for the comedy sitcom South Side before it was canceled by HBO Max in February 2023. Riddle is a multi-talented creative who has since done work on the Daily Show during Marlon Wayans run, co-produced the podcast One Song with songwriter and musicologist Luxxury, and has made appearances since 2023 on various podcasts talking about music, creating and writing Emmy-nominated shows, and creating comedy.
Riddle wrote a large chunk of the episodes of South Side and played the character of Alderman Gayle. He and Bashir Salahuddin, who played Officer Goodnight, have been writing jokes together since their days at Harvard University, where they started creating a medley of different works in the late 2000s. This includes Soul Train-esque Sherman’s Showcase, work on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Marlon, Brothers in Atlanta, and a long list of work they did together and separately.
After the cancellation of South Side was announced, Riddle tweeted, “The show that never lost one fan…” and thanked the fans, cast, and crew.
As I was writing “Chicago Millennials Discuss How The City Has Been Depicted On Screen” for South Side Weekly, I had the opportunity to speak with Riddle about the show that my peers
and I appreciated so much and what was his creative process like for creating the characters and characterizing the city.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Cordell Longstreath: When creating the character, what was your inspiration for Alderman Gayle? Was it based on working around politicians?
Diallo Riddle: We did not have an alderman in Atlanta; we have a city councilman. We have a city councilman with the same role, but we don’t have wards. You know, we have zones... The thing about Gayle; he’s not a man of ideology. He sees opportunities that he goes for.
We had always gone into the show hoping to show people on the South Side at various levels of, I don’t want to say power, but to a certain extent, like varying degrees of status. In one of our favorite movies, Coming to America, you had some poor characters, some rich characters, some smart characters, and some dumb characters. And we always wanted to show that the South Side isn’t all one thing, either.
There are some characters who make a good living, some who are just making it by, and others who actually have a little bit of political or social clout, and what
do they do with that bit of clout that they have? So that was one thing we wanted to do. We wanted to show somebody in our show who may not have the brass ring of power, but is not powerless. Secondly, you can only talk about Chicago if you talk about Chicago politics. My character was an avenue to do that.
And when we started doing our work, I would hear the stories from the writers in the room because I’m one of the only people in that room who was not from Chicago. It was me and Michael Blieden, and we were the only interlopers. Everybody else was from Chicago. When you hear the stories about the politicians, specifically about the aldermen, you’re like, oh, this is crazy! You would just be like, how is this real? How does this person get away with it for so long?
We also did independent research. Some of the stories about the things that various aldermen had been accused and convicted of were almost too crazy to make up. And we put that in the script. It was a little broad, you know, the whole thing about him inserting himself into the collection of parking meters payment so that he could amass a great wealth, that seems like something out of the 1980s Eddie Murphy, Dan Ackroyd [skit].
By the way, I feel South Side has been very good at predicting the future. So, for example, we did an episode called DJ Alderman, where he decides more than fixing potholes, which is the unglamorous side of what he does for a living, he’d rather be a DJ. And then I looked at him a couple of months later. In real life, there was an alderman going around his district DJing a fundraiser, so it’s just funny that sometimes we think we’re a pretty absurd comedy, but then life happens. You find out that God is more absurd than us.
Is there any politician you feel he is similar to?
It’s crazy, man. I think that that’s the kind of stuff that can come out in local politics. Once they get to a state and national level, they’re usually a little more polished. Nowadays, who knows, but he’s a local guy. And the fact that he lied about where he’s from is very George Santos. Nothing we did with Alderman
“Right now there is a new generation of people who are creating a better, more accurate depiction. It's not even that we're trying to paint a rosy picture; it's just a more accurate picture of our community.”
Gayle was so broad and ridiculous that it couldn’t be believed.
The episode on Simon and Kareem graduating from community college
be a different kind of show. It’s not going to be, you know, people laughing at the privileged and the elite. I feel like there’s a lot of that out there right now, from Secession to White Lotus. Billions, there are so many shows like this, just like how rich even Game of Thrones is. This is how the rich and powerful live. And this is why we should throw stones at them.
But we don’t spend enough time just sort of focusing on what’s the life of regular people. This is my background, you know, I didn’t come from… I grew up on the southwest side of Atlanta. I think my father probably topped off at about $38,000 a year, you know what I mean? Like, we lived good because that’s in Atlanta in the 80s, you [could] live on that, but it’s not like I had any clothes with a label on it. I had the same sweater every other day, do you know what I mean? Bashir’s family is the same way. I’m one of six. He’s one of eight. We come from real working-class backgrounds, and we wanted to do a show that reflected that because I feel like that’s what’s not on TV quite a bit. You know, it’s almost like TV thinks that it can only tell the story of the people who are winning, but here’s why they’re so sad or here’s why they’re so terrible.
I wanted to tell a story about ambition, and those people who are basically trying to make it out of the hoods, but also not trying to leave with it. They want to make a better life for them and for their families. And sometimes we just don’t see much of that on TV. And it’s funny, like, that’s how more people live than not, but yet, it’s hard to get it across that development rubric. Sometimes it’s hard to tell network executives who are usually driving a premium luxury car, “Hey, here’s a story about real people.”
What role do you think comedy has in terms of humanizing our experience of life? What role do you think it has on people’s self-image in their perception of where they are from?
was very surreal. It reminded me of my experience of graduating here in Chicago. That was our first episode. I think we set up the show [thinking] this will
I’d say as much as I love those old Warner Brothers Bugs Bunny cartoons, that’s where we get a lot of, you know, most racist stereotypes. I mean, they’ve been cleansed. But I’m old enough to remember
The 3rd season premiere of South Side at the DuSable Museum on December 6, 2022.
Photo courtesy of Joe Nolasco/WBEZ
when there were episodes where a bomb would explode and Bugs Bunny’s face... Suddenly, he’s in blackface, and you start singing Manny. I mean, when you think about characters, like Slowpoke Rodriguez, you know, a Mexican mouse who is friends with Speedy Gonzales, but Slowpoke Rodriguez, he’s lazy. the joke about that character. TV and film, whatever comes next, I don’t know if it’s streaming or just web-based video, whatever comes across on our phones— these are our reflections. We look at our phones, which are essentially black mirrors, and we see a reflection of ourselves.
I think that the good news is that there are now more people of color who are creating their shows, not worrying about acting, but writing shows, directing shows, doing makeup on shows, roles with no visibility [because they’re behind the cameras], working behind the scenes on shows, all that leads to diversity. I know that people like to slam diversity, but the reason why we’re demanding diversity is that we are a voice that has not been at the table, we have not been able to define ourselves too often. And I think that that’s hopefully changing.
I hope it doesn’t change and then go back to the way it was like in the 90s. I feel like we had a lot of Black TV shows. We had Martin, we had the whole WB for a little bit, and we had a whole network, UPN. They always came to us when they wanted to start their networks, but then, when those networks went away, we went through another period where there was just not a whole lot of color on TV. Then, thankfully, there was another generation that came along, and I am proud of that generation: Issa Rae, Donald Glover, Lena Waithe, and so many others. Right now there is a new generation of people who are creating a better, more accurate depiction. It’s not even that we’re trying to paint a rosy picture. It’s just a more accurate picture of our community.
Thankfully, it’s not just Black men. I always say South Side wouldn’t exist as it does without the active input and driving force, quite frankly, of Black women, since we have more Black female writers on the show than Black male writers. I think that’s why our female characters
ring. They are some of our most popular characters because you don’t have a roomful of non-Black women writing those characters. So I think the diversity is real; self-image is only helpful when you allow people to sort of, at the very least, control their own image. That doesn’t mean that, as a Black writer, you can’t write now. I’m here. But I think we’ve had so much experience over our lifetime with characters who aren’t Black that I think it’s easier for us to write them sometimes than it is for them to write us.
What was your goal for characterizing Chicago in your show?
We wanted it to be [like] Seinfeld. We didn’t want the show to be like, “Oh, by the way, that takes place in [Chicago].” No, we wanted it to be like they were there. They were name-checking Daley’s, they were name-checking Cottage Grove, you know, and going down to Daley’s, which we couldn’t use their name, so I think we had to call it Washington’s on the show.
Speak on the hustler spirit.
One thing we like about our show is that even though it’s set in Chicago, and the jokes are very Chicago-specific, people from Atlanta to Philly to LA to, you know, Montgomery, Alabama love the show because they see their own cities in our depiction of Chicago. So, yeah, I think to a certain extent, if you go to Atlanta, you will meet a barber who’s got a hot young rapper he’s trying to produce. And by the way, he can also tell you, he can sell you some spray paint, you know. All three of those things apply. So, yeah, that’s just the hustler spirit that thrives in communities where people want something better for themselves, they want something better for their children and their families. ¬
Cordell Longstreath is an Army veteran, writer, community advocate and activist, and teacher. He last wrote about how Chicago has been depicted on screen.
Drawing Attention to Chicago’s South Asian Queer History
Q&A with South Asia Institute curator Ankit Khadgi on the importance of knowing your history and his new
exhibition, People Who Came Before Us.
BY MRITTIKA GHOSH
Ankit Khadgi is a Nepali curator, journalist, and editor based in Chicago. After beginning as an arts and culture journalist with The Kathmandu Post, he moved to Chicago to pursue a master’s degree in visual and critical studies at the School of the Art Institute (SAIC). He soon developed a passion for documenting the history of the South Asian queer community in Chicago. Khadgi’s first curatorial project in the United States, People Who Came Before Us, opened at the South Asia Institute last month.
The Weekly spoke with Khadgi about the importance of understanding one’s history, his experience researching a widely erased community, and his thoughts on South Asian American queer life in Chicago today.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
South Side Weekly:How did you get started thinking about South Asian queer history in Chicago?
Ankit: I started doing research before I moved to Chicago. I did my own research because I was curating queer spaces back home in Nepal. So I was like, I should do similar kinds of things [in Chicago] because that gives joy to me. So I started
doing my research and I came across this name, Ifti Nasim. [Editor’s note: Nasim was a gay Pakistani poet who moved to Chicago in the 1960s and later founded Sangat/Chicago, a community for queer South Asian people that was disbanded in the late 2000s.] And then, in the spring of 2023, I was part of the LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project. It was started by professors from the University of Chicago, SAIC, and UIC. These were professors from LGBTQ backgrounds, and they felt the need to create a space where queer people from different generations can come together and form relationships, because they couldn’t see that anywhere. It was part of a credit course for my degree. When I took that course, there were people from different backgrounds, but there was not even a single person of South Asian descent. Which was surprising for me, because there must be older people who are South Asian and gay, right? And they did try their best to actually find people. They’re still looking for South Asians to include in the project, but said that they've always struggled. So that stuck with me. I knew if Ifti Nasim existed, he must have had friends, right? So I started research and I had to write my thesis as well. So I was like, “Why don’t I research this for my thesis?” Then I came across Kareem Khubchandani. He
is a professor of performance studies, dance, and theater at Tufts University. He wrote about Sangat in Chicago, and I found a lot of other groups that existed. Through SAADA [the South Asian Association for Digital Archives], I found that Khuli Zaban existed. I started interviewing people. You know, it was like, I interviewed one person, they were like, oh, you should talk to this person. And then I interviewed them and got to meet so many people. They were doing amazing work in the ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s, but why aren’t people talking about it? So, that's how the exhibition started.
Mrittika: I’ve found that people can be so generous with their time and connections if you have a personal interest.
Yes, though it was very difficult for them to find time for me to go through the archives. And, you know, and most of them, they did save the archives but they never had intentions of sharing them. It's very tough to actually donate your stuff from then, because these are highly personal memories. You’ve been keeping them for years and you have this personal attachment to those physical bodies. Finding people who wanted to donate was difficult.
These people are now mostly not activists in the organizing scene, which makes sense because you cannot make a career out of it. So for bread and butter, it's totally understandable that when you're so busy, you don’t have time for other stuff. Just finding them took some time, but, yeah, some were really generous. I interviewed people who are not even living in Chicago now. Like, they've moved to other states, other cities, but they still shared and they appreciated what I was doing with the project.
And you were already working at SAI [South Asia Institute] the whole time?
Yes, as the communications officer. I pitched my idea and they said yes. Also, Ifti was friends with Shireen and Afzal [Shireen and Afzal Ahmed, the founders of the South Asian Institute]. At first I thought I’d just give everything to Gerber/
Hart [library and archives] because they have almost nothing about this. But I was like, okay, even if I do that, people who come across this archive would be people already interested in this research, but the general public will never see it. So I thought, an exhibition makes sense.
That space has all the elements of white cube gallery, and you can’t do a lot with that, because I mostly had archives that are text-heavy. These are not paintings that I can hang on the wall where one can spend hours and hours looking at it, complimenting its brush strokes or
would look different. Sangat created a space for people to come together to party and more for merry-making, Khuli Zaban [an organization centered around queer women that dissolved in the late 2000s] did more political meetings about intersectional activism and social realities. So I thought, why don't I create spaces where people can come and sit and then learn about these people? And I wanted people to spend time with these archives because there’s a lot to process, you just can’t glance at it and then leave. So that’s how the exhibition design started.
The first was I imagined the living room of Ifti Nasim. People used to mostly meet in Ifti’s living room, which also acted as a party house, sometimes a hostel for people who lived there for weeks. Another space was a little stage, because they started doing Jai Ho parties or Bollywood drag shows, they did them at Big Chicks in Uptown. The space is very small, but they did so much.
The design of this exhibition is so unique. Could you share a bit about your process in coming up with it?
colors. I kept on thinking, what should I do? And the commonality that I could find in all of these organizations was they were creating spaces. And the spaces
Installation view, People Who Came Before Us. An arrangement of living room furniture. On the wall behind the couch is a gallery of vintage photos featuring South Asian LGBTQ+ figures. . Photo courtesy of South Asia Institute
Installation view, People Who Came Before Us. Close-up of the coffee table in the center of the installation. On it are a small decorative typewriter, tray, and several open magazines and books. Photo courtesy of South Asia Institute
Have you found that in doing this work, you developed thoughts about continuity generationally among the South Asian queer community in Chicago?
Our previous generations were doing a lot. And at a time when being gay and South Asian was very difficult, too. Especially in the ’80s, the AIDS crisis, and then the ’90s, the kind of struggle this country’s queer people were going through. It also comes with a lot of risk, especially if you’re an immigrant. You know, there’s always this issue of a visa. They might deport you. And a lot of people left their homes because they wanted to be gay. Or here, at least in America, they thought that they could escape from their parents. So they carried a lot of risk with them. But yet people, there were people who were doing amazing work. They understood that the struggles of every community are interconnected, and you just can’t talk about your problem, but not talk about racial justice and about misogyny within queer circles. So they were addressing those real issues and the issues that we are still struggling with.
These South Asian organizations like Trikone, Sangat, and Khuli Zaban were not only focused on one kind of activism. They had those difficult conversations. They were not just doing activism on streets, they were also doing activism in living rooms by organizing potlucks or poetry sessions and doing all that stuff. I think we have to learn a lot from them. And I think this project made me realize that there's so many things that we can learn from them. And we can replicate what they did, what worked for them. [As for] what didn’t work for them, we can try our best not to repeat that.
Where are the archives going after this?
A lot of it was from people’s personal collections. If someone wants to donate, I’ll send their archive to the Gerber/Hart Library. I want them to start a South Asian archive. I don’t want this to be mixed with Asian American archives.
Can you say more about why you think they need a separate archive?
Yeah, sure. Because “Asian American,” I mean, the population is huge. That doesn’t mean we’re not Asians. We are Asians. We’re very Asian. “Asian American” is a very diasporic identity, and I think South
Asian is a distinct identity. In Nepal, I was never a “South Asian,” I was Nepali. We never identified that way. But here, we all have to be grouped together because of various reasons, very political, social reasons.
“We’ve always worshiped our ancestors… acknowledged what they have done for us. So I think the current generation of young queer folks also need to understand that. Whatever rights, whatever forms of liberation that we have achieved, it’s because of them.”
But these people were also specifically working for South Asian people. I mean, they were doing a lot of other stuff, but their target and community was always South Asian people. I think it’s high time for libraries and archives to have their own South Asian sections. Another reason that I’m worried is that if this is included within broad Asian American archives, this archive will get lost.
Some of the conversations that were happening about balancing our identities in personal relationships, being in the diaspora, negotiating South Asian gender norms, are sort of the same ones that many are having today in queer communities decades later. Did you find that their archives resonated with your experience in Chicago?
I think what we need to understand is we come from a culture, especially South Asian people, where we’ve always worshiped our ancestors. I don’t know how it is in other countries, but especially Nepal, we’ve always worshiped our ancestors and considered them as gods and goddesses and acknowledged what they have done for us. So I think the current generation of young queer folks also need to understand that. Whatever rights, whatever forms of liberation that we have achieved, it’s because of them. The government just didn’t start giving us rights. I hope with this project, people will think about their own ancestors and try to find, dig [for] their own history. Hopefully we’ll be able to tell their stories or archive their stories more. I think there’s a reason why people want to ban books, which is happening here in this country. They are specifically targeting queer books because these are histories. And if you erase history, you’ll always struggle to understand your own identity. So yeah, I hope someone gets inspiration to do something like this in their own communities and in their own spaces.¬
Mrittika Ghosh (she/her) is an reader, writer, and arts journalist living in Chicago. This is their first article for the Weekly
Ankit Khadgi addresses a crowd in Nepal.
Photo courtesy Ankit Khadgi
Our thoughts in exchange for yours.
The Exchange is the Weekly’s poetry corner, where a poem or piece of writing is presented with a prompt. Readers are welcome to respond to the prompt with original poems, and pieces may be featured in the next issue of the Weekly.
The Cardinal Rule of Time Travel
by chima “naira” ikoro
rule number one about time traveling is to leave the past unchanged aside from what you are visiting for. often times, we watch as a character is tempted to defy this cardinal rule, we scream at the screen, our voices falling short of the pixels that separate us from another reality.
i used to tell myself that if i could go back in time i would keep myself away from so many people. every time bitterness floods me, i look off into the eyes of an alternate self that never knew what a heart breaking sounds like and i miss her.
the other day, as i looked in her direction, fighting through the sting of betrayal protected by squatters’ rights living rent free in my tear ducts, i saw myself alone, never having learned what the rain sounds like and unable to dress for the weather in her adulthood.
heartbreak is like a tonsillectomy, a necessary procedure for some of us who aren’t so fortunate. they prove to be more difficult when the patient is an adult; the younger you are, the less scar tissue you’ve built up with each passing infection.
i time travel, and return to the future grateful that heavy rain taught me how to patch a roof. now, i own things that are too valuable to get wet. i learned how to grieve a friend still living when i had enough free time to cry. now, i have bills to pay.
like, who has time for that?
i time travel, and i leave my whole self behind. instead i gather the pieces of me that i managed to not lose, i realize they are the most important ones. i turn my face away from the past, my entire being dry and protected.
Chasing Love & Ambition
by lauriel brooks
Chasing Love and Ambition
A sign of admission
A desire of most
A few like to boast
Of late nights
And confessions
Of dark days and depression
Aimless walking and ventures
Full of late night adventures
A slate blank and its open
A mind free from devotion
A canvas waiting for a painting
A life ready for the taking
The 20’s don’t need a plan
Just an idea or a stance
To move mountains or molehills
To find pleasure in most fields
To experience life at its finest
When wine is flowing
We feel spineless
Ability to be free
Some can make it
Some must flee
Each life will be different
Each story will unfold
Chase love and ambition
The oldest story ever told
Chima Ikoro is the Weekly’s Community Builder.
THIS WEEK'S PROMPT: “IF YOU COULD TRAVEL BACK IN TIME, INSTEAD OF THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU COULD CHANGE, WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU’D KEEP THE SAME.”
This could be a poem, journal entry, or a stream-of-consciousness piece. Submissions could be new or formerly written pieces. Submissions can be sent to bit.ly/ssw-exchange or via email to chima.ikoro@southsideweekly.com