I’m just like my country / I’m young, scrappy and hungry / And I’m not throwing away my shot! — Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Eric and I just returned from a quick trip to Chicago where we were lucky enough to see the Broadway production Hamilton. I’d been dreaming about seeing it since I first heard the lyrics and pretty much memorized the entire album by the time we arrived in Chicago. With these lyrics in my head, our experiences in Chicago took on a whole new meaning and reminded me why I love our country so much and why we must fight against the forces that constantly seek to tear us apart.
Before the show we took a food tour with Rebecca Wheeler, a local cooking instructor and self-taught chef. Rebecca’s Chicago Food Walks took us through the Devon neighborhood north of Chicago, which was almost exclusively Indian and Pakistani. Eric and I had never paid for a guided tour but the idea of having someone introduce us to an unfamiliar cuisine and culture sounded very appealing. Rebecca was AMAZING! From the moment we met her it felt like we were visiting a friend in the city. She spent just as much time listening as she did speaking, catering the tour to our interests. She was full of knowledge about the cuisine, showed great rapport with the local merchants and I especially loved that she inserted history into the mix. I could see how much she respects the people and neighborhoods that she tours. I never felt like we were separate observers, ogling at some exotic culture. I felt like we were guests being invited into someone’s home.
For a great guide to this neighborhood, visit A Guide to Devon Avenue. It’s an older article but it’s the best one I’ve seen. It really captures the spirit of this street and gives excellent recommendations.
My favorite stops along the tour were Sukhadia’s and Kamdar Plaza. At Sukhadia’s we sampled various sweets and watched them make masala dosa. At Kamdar I fell in love with bhel puri and enjoyed visiting with their friendly staff. We made several other stops and ended with a leisurely lunch at Khan BBQ where we were invited into the kitchen to see how naan is made. Rebecca emailed us a detailed list of where we went, what we ate, recommended cookbooks and spices, Indian/Pakistani restaurants in the area and recipes. If you love food, culture and meeting new people then her tours are well worth the money!
Immigrants, we get the job done. — Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Experiencing a thriving immigrant community in one of our country’s grandest cities was the perfect activity to precede a show like Hamilton, which tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant who through his own grit and talent became one of our country’s founding fathers. Inspired by the biography by Ron Chernow, this musical was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda who is the living embodiment of America. Miranda comes from an interracial family and is a 2nd generation immigrant whose brilliance is beyond comprehension. I’ve been calling Miranda “the Shakespeare of our time” because of his brilliant wordplay, but I think that’s a discredit to him — he has more heart and depth than The Bard. Listen to the Hamilton soundtrack and you’ll hear it. You’ll hear the good, the bad and the messy in-between of our country. You’ll hear the past and realize it’s still our present. Look at the performers on stage and you’ll see the power of diversity and the beauty of colors in every shade. You’ll see the sold-out crowds and be reminded that there is still a majority in our country who celebrate our kaleidoscope and who welcome immigrants with open arms.
When the presidential election results were announced last year, I became scared about what that said of our nation. I realized just how naive I was in thinking that the hate and fear I saw on TV resided only with a minority. Saturday Night Live nailed it when they did some skits showing white Americans freaking out when they realized that racism still exists in our country. We knew it existed but I don’t think we realized (or wished to admit) that it was so prevalent (especially in those who we had chosen to lead us).
History has its eyes on you. — Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Combine this with the mass shootings, racially charged violence between black men and police and the fear mongering directed at refugees and immigrants and one can easily see why I would begin to doubt my country. But in comes Hamilton and my faith begins to slowly be restored. I listen to the lyrics and am reminded that our country has never been perfect and has struggled with these same issues since its birth. Freedom has always prevailed (even if it took longer for some to gain it). We’ve had decades of fear-induced policies before but the pendulum eventually swung back in a more moderate direction. Hamilton reminds me of this and stirs my blood to action — to be young, scrappy and hungry and never be satisfied with the status quo.
Raise a glass to freedom. Something they can never take away. — Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
