Hundreds of neighbors packed the corner of Wentworth and Clark on Sunday as Chinatown flipped the switch on a lantern-studded "Light Up Chinatown" ceremony to kick off the Lunar New Year season. Dragon and lion dancers moved through red banners and clouds of confetti, but organizers also made room for a quieter message: community solidarity in the face of aggressive federal immigration enforcement. The celebration carried a festive buzz and a clear edge of concern as residents urged one another to stay connected and watchful.
Community Voices On The Year Of The Horse
Edward Huang, a Chinatown resident, told ABC7 Chicago that the Year of the Horse is "a yearly annual reminder that we are all still one community, sticking together." Light Up Chinatown was staged by local business and civic groups to usher in the holiday. The Lunar New Year officially begins Feb. 17, and the neighborhood's main parade is scheduled for March 1, according to the Chicago Chinatown Community Foundation.
Federal Enforcement Looms Large
The crowd's caution reflected a national backdrop of intensified immigration operations that have sparked protests and lawsuits in other cities. Coverage in the Star Tribune details an "Operation Metro Surge" in Minnesota and multiple on-scene shootings involving federal agents that have heightened fear in immigrant communities there. The Minnesota attorney general and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have filed suit seeking to halt the surge, arguing the deployments have led to unlawful stops, detentions and other harms, according to the state attorney general's office.
Local Leaders Call For Unity
City leaders at the Chinatown event used the celebration to press for cohesion rather than panic. Mayor Brandon Johnson urged residents to "lead with love and to have healthy resistance" as the neighborhood celebrates. Eleven Ward Ald. Nicole Lee told ABC7 Chicago that people "are not afraid to gather" while also warning against racial profiling by enforcement agents.
Parade, Lanterns And The Road Ahead
Organizers say Chinatown will keep its cultural calendar going through the month with lantern displays and performances leading up to the parade on March 1. The Chicago Chinatown Community Foundation lists the march as starting at 24th Street and Wentworth and heading north toward Cermak and Wentworth. For many residents, the coming weeks are meant to serve both as a celebration of the Year of the Horse and a show of collective presence, with public ritual offering a measure of reassurance in unsettled times.
