Our compatriot Zamirbek Nurov, who has been living in the USA since 2010, listed 44 facts about "Chicago Kyrgyz." He shared his post with "Azattyk."
Kyrgyz in Chicago are divided into owls and larks - not north and south
1. Kyrgyz in Chicago are the friendliest; they do not divide into north and south.
2. They are divided into owls and larks (day and night).
3. Most Kyrgyz in Chicago are young people aged 20 to 30.
4. Contrary to stereotypes, not all Kyrgyz in Chicago work as taxi drivers.
5. If you are married, you are perceived differently ("Brother, you are family...").
6. Most do not cook at home, as there are seven Kyrgyz cafes in Chicago.
7. It is very rare to see a Kyrgyz eating alone. Usually, they call friends and eat together.
8. During meals, they usually share interesting stories from work.
9. Everyone has a large supply of interesting stories, and they never run out.
10. Almost all Kyrgyz know each other by face and always greet each other ("Assalamu alaikum!").
11. Friends can greet each other in English, usually with "What's up" or "How ya doin'?"
12. They mix Kyrgyz with English just like in the KR with Russian.
13. They have their own jargon and terms that Kyrgyz from other states do not understand.
14. The Kyrgyz in Chicago have their own places where they buy groceries, "Albeni," halal meat, as well as furniture; even Western Union, which operates 24 hours, auto repair shops, car washes, and so on.
Kyrgyz restaurant "Ala-Too" in Chicago Kyrgyz restaurant "Ala-Too" in Chicago
15. Almost all Kyrgyz in Chicago have dined at the famous Brazilian restaurant Fogo de Chao (they have excellent meat).
16. Every Kyrgyz arriving in Chicago must take a photo against the backdrop of Chicago; on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower (a skyscraper, the second tallest building in the United States); near Cloud Gate or Bean (a public sculpture in the shape of a giant chrome bean); as well as on the Michigan Avenue bridge.
17. Kyrgyz in Chicago adapt very quickly and know the city very well, even one-way streets, and they use a navigator just to check for traffic jams.
18. Most Kyrgyz drive new cars – from 2011 to 2014.
19. Many of them have sent at least one car to the KR, usually a Lexus.
One of our compatriots, Mirlan Murzapalov, plays the piano
20. Many students study in St. Louis, Missouri.
21. There are also many students studying Linux or Oracle (operating systems - vb.kg).
22. In general, there is a lot of active youth in Chicago. Among them, there are many talents, athletes, Olympiad winners, and so on.
23. You rarely see a Kyrgyz with excess weight; most go to gyms and fitness clubs.
24. About 60% of Kyrgyz play football every week.
25. They even have their own mini-football league in Chicago, which is on par with the English Premier League.
The Kyrgyz national football team in Chicago after a match with the Kyrgyz team from Ohio
26. At the American football championship among Kyrgyz, the Chicago team is always considered a favorite but often loses in the finals; they are often compared to the German national team.
27. This year Germany won the World Cup, and the Chicago team won the "Yntymak Kubogu" ("Cup of Friendship" - vb.kg).
28. Kyrgyz in Chicago always celebrate national and religious holidays.
29. In general, Kyrgyz in Chicago are ыймандуу (religious - vb.kg). On Fridays or during Eid prayers, many can be seen at the mosque.
30. Almost all Kyrgyz cafes have their own prayer rooms.
31. In recent years, the number of newlyweds has increased, and weddings and nikah ceremonies have become more frequent.
Kyrgyz wedding in Chicago
32. If you are dating someone, almost everyone knows about it, and acquaintances often ask you: "Kachan anan toi?" ("When is the wedding?" - vb.kg).
33. Here, almost everyone knows each other by face; they may not know names, but they know car numbers well.
34. Many have Kyrgyz emblems on their cars. These can be small souvenirs or inscriptions like KG, KGZ, IKYRGYZ, and so on.
35. In summer, you can often see a Kyrgyz in a T-shirt with a national pattern or with the flag; friends from the KR bring these to them.
36. Many in Chicago can be seen wearing headphones, usually on one ear.
37. At work, they are constantly in touch with friends; in conferences, three to four people can communicate.
38. Most have two phones – one for work and another personal.
39. Kyrgyz in Chicago are very hardworking; they can sometimes work without weekends.
40. In winter, when the cold sets in, they take a vacation for one to two weeks and travel around America.
41. After the New Year, they definitely go to ski resorts for two to three days.
42. No matter how good the conditions are, 95% of Kyrgyz return to their homeland.
43. The average length of stay for Kyrgyz in Chicago is three to four years.
44. Kyrgyz who met in Chicago maintain friendships and keep in touch in Kyrgyzstan after returning home.
P.S. This post is written with a sense of humor, but all the facts are true. I wanted to share at least a little about the life of our compatriots in Chicago.
In fact, one of the largest Kyrgyz diasporas in America is located in Chicago. The Kyrgyz here actively invest in the economy of Kyrgyzstan – they build houses, buy apartments, send cars, engage in small and medium businesses, send cash, create investment funds, and also participate in charitable activities. And I am sure that upon returning home, they will not sit idly by; on the contrary, they will actively participate in public life, applying all the knowledge and skills gained in the USA. I write this based on my own experience, my friends, and everyone I have been fortunate to meet in this huge, wonderful city.
Zamirbek Nurov
