Esther Yoon-Ji Kang
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
Migrants move out of two Oak Park shelters. What’s next for them?
The western suburb has housed 160 migrants since November. Two shelter sites closed this week, but local groups are working to fill the gap.
This Chicago dad created a cookie line inspired by his son who has autism
Many parents of children with special needs wonder what their kids will do when they need jobs. Al’s Cookie Mixx aims to tackle that problem.
How are the Chicago suburbs handling the influx of migrants?
After a crackdown in Chicago on unannounced buses dropping off migrants, a growing number of suburbs have been receiving newcomers.
Don’t take away dollar stores without ‘backup plan,’ community members say
Chicago City Council is considering limiting the number of dollar stores in the city, but many neighborhoods rely on these “small-box” stores.
After caring for little ones, Illinois’ home-based child care providers often make minimum wage — or less
As more daycare operators leave the field for better-paying jobs, families have fewer child care options, says the union that represents 15,000 providers.
Service helps on MLK Day, but some say it’s not enough
U.S. groups will gather for community service projects to honor Martin Luther King Jr., but some say more is needed.
Unionized journalists at the Chicago Tribune fighting for their first contract
This is “about this hedge fund hurting a product that people rely on,” a Tribune journalist and union member tells WBEZ.
From breakfast spots to barber shops, Latino-owned businesses and population are growing in west suburban Riverside
“The Latino community is very much a part of the fabric of the western suburbs, and a growing, thicker strand of that fabric,” says one civic leader.
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.
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.