Armour Square

      Prayer Points

• Pray for the long-term development of the community as a new generation of leaders are taking over and starting to emerge.

 

• Many immigrants are mainland Chinese students coming to America specifically for an education, which provides a window of opportunity to share the gospel with these students during their short time here.

 

• Praise God for the work He is doing through a number of Christian social service agencies and churches in the community that provide ESL services, job training, and tutoring classes.

 

• Recently, Chinatown businesses have gained the interest of foreign investors, with new and different understanding of business than the traditional. Pray that tensions among people in business would be mediated and resolved.

 

• Pray that the underground issues and tensions, especially trafficking, would be addressed and not tolerated by the community.

      Ethnic Background

• Asian (67.9%)
• Black or African American (9.1%)
• Hispanic or Latino (3.7%)
•  White (16.5%)

Neighborhood Background

Armour Square found its beginnings when German, Irish, and Swedish immigrants arrived during the Civil War. Around 1912, Chinese living on the south edge of the Loop began a mass movement southward, encountering severe racial discrimination.

 

They were forced to do business through an intermediary. The H.O. Stone Company acted on behalf of fifty Chinese businessmen, securing leases on buildings in what has since become a major tourist attraction in Chicago. During World War I, the narrow corridor that was limited to African American residents on Chicago’s South Side, known as the “Black Belt,” expanded into the southern section of Armour Square.

 

Chicago Housing Authority’s construction of Wentworth Gardens in 1947 brought the population in the area to an all-time high. However, the demolition brought about for the construction of the Dan Ryan and Stevenson Expressway resulted in a steady decline in population. The distinctive Chinatown and Wentworth Gardens has made Armour Square the diverse environment it is today.