Week Four: Visit to the Chicago History Museum pt.2

Namaskar (greetings) everyone!

Last week I took on two tasks. First, I was instructed to come up with a set of ten questions that I will be able to use when I begin interviewing store-owners and residents of Devon Ave. Second, I was able to visit the Chicago History Museum and take a look at their archives pertaining to Devon Ave.

When I was coming up with questions I had to take several factors into consideration. I did not want to include anything pertaining to one's immigration status or religious affiliation. I want to stay away from such "heated" questions and focus more on the economic and migration patterns of the interviewee. Below are the questions I would like to ask a store-owner on Devon Ave.

1. Where are you from? If you are from India, which region are you from?
2. How many languages do you and your employees speak?
3. Do you live near the Rogers Park, West Rogers Park or West Ridge area? If so, why have you chosen this location?
4. Why did you choose to open up a business on Devon Ave. in particular?
5. How long has your establishment been open?
6. Are there stores that sell similar products as you nearby? Does this affect your competition?
7. Are your customers local residents or mostly people out of town?
8. What have you learned from your experiences as a shop owner and do you have any advice for new business owners?
9.Do you think you will pass on the business to your children or another family member?
10. Do you think the diversity on Devon Ave. is beneficial to your business?

My visit to the Chicago History Museum's archives was a great success. I was able to find census data dating all the way back to 1938 and pictures dating back to the 1980's pertaining to Devon Ave. I was able to document census data information from the Chicago Local Community Fact Book from 1938 to 1960 so far. The Chicago Local Community Fact Book gives a description of every neighborhood and includes a geographic and demographic synopsis. It also highlights some of the neighborhood's landmarks and local cultural specialties. Not only was I able to extract numerical data, but gain a cultural understanding of the neighborhood during that time period. It was also interesting to read the changing narratives over decades. I hope to retrieve the census data from 1960 to the present when I visit the museum this week. Using this census information I want to construct a chart that maps the growth in the immigrant population over a eighty year arc. I would also be interested in looking at any economic or demographic patterns within the census data.

The second set of information I came across was a plethora of pictures taken by Mukil Roy in 1984/1985. The pictures were taken as part of the Columbia College Project of Family History. They not only show the exterior of Devon Ave. such as the store signs and people walking down the street dressed in traditional clothing, but there are numerous pictures of people inside the stores as well.

This week I will be attending a Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce Meeting and taking more pictures between Damen and Western Ave.