On a May afternoon at the outdoor mall Chinatown Square, a group of Asian grandmas wave their arms and sway their hips in a production of guang chang wu (Chinese square dancing). A line of men begins to form into a dragon dance, and later, a singer wearing face paint performs traditional Chinese opera.
Zhong has become an unofficial voice for the youth of Chinatown through his marketing agency Tian Represent, serving as a bridge between older and newer residents in Bridgeport and Armour Square. Though nearly 50 years separate them in age, Zhong has teamed up with Gene Lee, the “mayor of Chinatown,” to plan the community’s pandemic comeback—a two-day fair featuring local vendors, hip-hop artists, cultural performances, and a Hong Kong-style night market.
Members of the planning committee span three generations, each offering a distinct perspective and area of expertise. Zhong, Jeri Tan, and Christine Huang manage youth messaging and “hyping up people not from the community,” while Tim Brenmark, a board member of the Chinatown Community Foundation, will oversee volunteers. Francis Almeda, owner of Side Practice Coffee on the north side, and Anita Lau, cochair of Chicago Chinatown Special Events, deal with local artists, businesses, and food vendors. Lee and Darryl Tom, the chamber’s president, confirm what can be accomplished within city and Chinatown politics.
Chinatown Summer Fair 2021
Saturday, July 31, noon-10 PM and Sunday, August 1, 10 AM-7 PM, Chicago Chinatown Gateway, 2206 S. Wentworth, hiphopinchinatown.com, free.
“Other people come in wanting to be paid and claim they have hundreds of contacts when they don’t,” Lee says. “I don’t need to do that with Shifa. He’s not promising me anything. He’s giving me the big picture. He said, ‘I’m looking to raise $150,000.’ Nobody’s ever said that to me with the Summer Fair. We have a different outlook, but we’re going to give him a chance.”
To the committee newcomers, no dream seems too ambitious. But first, they need the money to make it happen.
