>>> MAY MARKS ASIAN AMERICAN, PACIFIC ISLANDER AND HAWAIIAN HERITAGE MONTH.

MEMBERS HAVE MADE THE CITY THEIR HOME WHILE KEEPING CULTURE ALIVE.

NICK BLUMBERG AND PRODUCER BLAIR PADDOCK HAVE BEEN SPENDING TIME IN THREE PARTS OF TOWN, WITH THRIVING ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.

AND NICK JOINS US FROM CHINATOWN.

>> CHICAGOANS OF ASIAN DESCENT ARE THE FASTEST GROWING.

ABOUT 7% OF CHICAGO'S POPULATION.

WE VISITED THREE COMMUNITIES THIS WEEK.

ALONG DAVON AVENUE ON THE FAR WEST SIDE.

AROUND ARGYLE STREET IN UPTOWN.

AND RIGHT HERE IN CHINA TOWN, WHERE PEOPLE ARE CELEBRATING THEIR HER HAD TAJ.

HERITAGE.

>> ON A RECENT NIGHT, SHILACKA COOL KEARNEY.

REHEARSING FOR AN UPCOMING PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL.

BORN IN INDIA, COOL KEARNEY WANTED TO DANCE.

SHE MADE A DEAL WITH HER DAD, THAT SHE TAKE DANCE CLASSES.

>> IF YOU ARE GOING TO LEARN DANCE.

THEN YOU WILL BE STRONG.

>> PERSONALLY, IT HELPED ME IN SCHOOLS, TOO.

IT MADE ME APPRECIATE ANYONE ELSE WHO IS PUTTING TIME AND EFFORT IN DOING SOMETHING.

>> MANDALA PRESENTS WORK LIKE THIS CLASSICAL INDIAN DANCE.

BUT COOL KEARNEY'S WORK IS ALSO BEING INSPIRED BY BEING PART OF THE SOUTH ASIAN DIASPORA.

SHE ALSO COLLABORATED WITH A JAPANESE DANCER.

>> TOGETHER, WE CREATED SOMETHING VERY UNIQUE.

GOING OUT OF THEIR WAYS TO PRESENT EACH OTHER AND HELP EACH OTHER.

>> MANDALA ALSO PRESENTS.

IN JUNE, IT'S HOSTING AN ARTS FESTIVAL, AROUND THE CORNER.

IT'S A COMMUNITY WITH MANY MEMBERS OF PAKISTANI AND INDIAN DESCENT.

HE WAS A KID, HELPING OUT AT HIS FAMILY'S RESTAURANT.

>> EVERY WALK OF LIFE, RACE, RELIGION, CULTURE, AND THE MELTING POT.

>> STARTED WORKING FULL-TIME AT THE POPULAR AFTER HE GRADUATED COLLEGE AND NOW RUNS THE RESTAURANT.

>> EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE IS BUTTER CHICKEN, WHICH IS MIKE MINE ALSO.

I CAN PUT BUTTER CHICKEN ON EVERYTHING.

>> THE RESTAURANT HAS EXPANDED TO UIC, LOMBARD, LINCOLN PARK AND NEXT MONTH TO DALLAS.

IN RECENT YEARS, NEW FANS LEARNED FROM A QUIRKY TWITTER ACCOUNT STARTED BY A FAN OF THE RESTAURANT.

BUT EVEN IF YOU MISSED THE MEMES, BOZI SIS THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.

>> IT MIGHT BE LIKE WHAT IS PAKISTANI-INDIAN FOOD?

JUST GIVE IT A TRY, AND I'M SURE YOU'LL FIND SOMETHING YOU LIKE.

>> UPTOWN MAINSTAY IS WELL KNOWN AS AN ASIAN CULINARY HOT SPOT, INCLUDING MANY VIETNAMESE SPOTS.

>> WE ARE FROM CENTRAL VIETNAM.

AND OUR FOOD IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM ANYBODY.

THAT'S WHY I THINK PEOPLE LIKE TO COME AND TRY OUR FOOD.

>> Reporter: SYDNEY LEI SAYS THIS MEANS LOTS OF SEAFOOD DISHES AND FLAVORS LIKE TURMERIC.

LEI EVENTUALLY WENT TO CULINARY SCHOOL IN VIETNAM AND OPENED HER RESTAURANT FIVE YEARS AGO.

>> WE TRY TO DO THIS EVERY MONTH TO CREATE NEW DISHES.

THE LONGER WE HAVE THE BUSINESS THE MORE I ENJOY IT.

BECAUSE WHEN I SEE OUR CUSTOMER APPRECIATE AND ENJOY OUR FOOD, THAT MAKE US SO HAPPY.

>> DANONG WAS ONE OF SEVERAL BUSINESSES ALONG THE STREET THAT HAS GOTTEN THINGS LIKE MICROGRANTS, PROMOTIONAL HEALTH.

FROM THE GRASS ROOTS GROUP CELEBRATE ARGYLE.

>> THIS HIT AND HURT THE COMMUNITY.

WITH ALL OF THE ANTI-ASIAN HATE SENTIMENT.

>> WE'RE TRYING TO UPLIFT, NOT JUST PREPANDEMIC TIMES BUT ALSO FOR THE FUTURE.

>> Reporter: THE GROUP IS ORGANIZING A COMMUNITY CLEANUP SATURDAY AND 5K ON SUNDAY.

>> WE HAVE BEEN FINDING AGENCY IN OUR COMMUNITY.

TRYING TO FIND LOCAL VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE FINDING THAT VOICE IN THEMSELVES TO BE PROUD OF OUR CULTURE.

>> THE GREAT THING I'M SEEING RIGHT NOW IS JUST THE WHOLE API VOICE.

AND EVERYBODY CELEBRATING ASIAN HERITAGE.

IT'S A GREAT CHANGE TO SEE.

>> Reporter: TRIPLE CROWN'S SPENCER PAZ ING IS GLAD TO SEE THIS, BUT SAID HE IS STILL STRUGGLING TO FIND ENOUGH STAFFERS TO KEEP THE BELOVED RESTAURANT OPEN AS LONG AS HE USED TO.

ELECTION OF THE WARD'S FIRST CHINESE AMERICAN ALDER WOMAN.

>> FIRST TIME.

>> YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY.

YOU'RE ON THE MENU, IF YOU'RE NOT AT THE TABLE.

AND NOW WE REALLY HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR THE ISSUES AND VOICES THAT NEED THE ASSISTANCE AND NEED TO BE HEARD.

>> LEAD NEW, THE SECOND MEMBER.

ALONG WITH THAT.

>> I'M EVER HOPEFUL THAT WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AND 13 NEW COLLEAGUES, THAT WE'VE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOGETHER TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY DESERVE.

>> SPEAKING OF KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE, LEE CREDITED THE LOCAL DISTRICT POLICE, AS WELL AS THE CHINATOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WITH REVERSING A RECENT SPIKE IN ROBBERIES HERE IN CHINATOWN.

>> NICK, BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, THERE'S BEEN THIS WHOLE ISSUE OF A PROPOSED NEW HIGH SCHOOL ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

IT'S GOTTEN A LOT OF ATTENTION FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS.

WHAT DID SHE HAVE TO SAY TODAY ABOUT THAT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

SHE SAID IT'S STILL A PRIORITY FOR HER AND SOMETHING THAT, AS YOU MENTIONED, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST IN.

SHE GETS A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.

DEVELOPMENTS OF THAT NEW SCHOOL HAS BEEN ON HOLD AMID THE TRANSITION.

BUT LEE TOLD ME, SHE'S LOOKING FORWARD TO SITTING DOWN WITH THE MAYOR, AS WELL AS PEDRO MARTINEZ.

ALONG