A watering hole near the famed Wrigley Field in Chicago is a reminder of the impact Japanese Americans made on the city, reports the Chicago Bar Project.
The Nisei attracts its share of Cubs fans, but is known more as a neighborhood tavern with cheap booze prices.
It’s named after the Nisei, second generation Japanese Americans, many of whom were incarcerated in prison camps during World War II. During the mid-1950s, Chicago had the second highest population of Japanese Americans in the United States, surpassed only by New York City. Their population numbered about 20,000. Many of them had moved there after being released from the camps.
The Nisei was one of the few places Japanese Americans in Chicago could congregate and feel comfortable. Today it attracts a diverse clientele including many Nisei, Sansei and Yonsei.
For those who like to stop by during a visit to Chicago, the Nisei Lounge is located at 3439 N. Sheffield Ave.
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You can find out more about its history and legacy in the Chicago Bar Project.