Esther Yoon-Ji Kang
Reporter, Race, Class and Communities
Prior to arriving at WBEZ, she was a breaking news producer at the Tribune Company and an editor at Chicago magazine. Esther has also covered education and juvenile court, and did a stint in communications at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago before returning to journalism. Her work has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition, as well as Marketplace and Here and Now.
Esther has won numerous national and local awards, including a Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award. Her work has also been recognized by the Asian American Journalists Association and the National Association of Black Journalists.
Esther graduated from Northwestern University and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at the journalism school. Born in South Korea, she grew up in Paraguay and the D.C. area. She lives in Chicago with her family.
Stories by Esther Yoon-Ji Kang
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As Chicago struggles to shelter migrants from Venezuela, neighboring Oak Park steps in to help
In early November, village officials declared a month-long emergency disaster. But all agree: more money and collaboration are desperately needed.
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City of Chicago is turning hotel into a homeless shelter for up to seven months
The Selina Hotel will be converted to use all 116 rooms in December. The population will not include migrant families.
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Refugee job fair highlights employment hurdle for Venezuelan migrants
For thousands of refugees arriving in Chicago, finding work is the first step to establishing a new life here.
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St. Louis groups seek to resettle Chicago migrants to boost workforce and population
Funded primarily by donations, one program would provide housing for up to three months, job placement by local unions and assistance from immigration lawyers.
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What does it mean for Chicago to be a sanctuary city?
The term has become conflated with policies that provide public benefits and resources, according to DePaul University’s Kathleen Arnold.
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Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day? Chicago area remains split.
Chicago, Cook County and Illinois all observe Columbus Day, but some are calling for new ways to celebrate Italian heritage.
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Chicago-area fair housing group sues over discrimination using AI
Open Communities says a management company used a chatbot to illegally rule out a renter who had a housing voucher.
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Want to make friends from a different economic class? Try your local Applebee’s or Olive Garden.
Chain restaurants attract customers from different income brackets and represent ways to break down class barriers, according to a new study.
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Chicago’s migrant crisis tied to U.S. foreign policy
Juan González is a senior fellow at the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago. He says U.S. foreign policy is key to understanding why migrants flee to the city.
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Chicago requires contracts for domestic workers, but thousands don’t have any
House cleaners, nannies and caregivers say it’s been an uphill battle trying to get contracts after the city started mandating them last year.
