City Cast Denver

Eight is an auspicious number in Chinese and other Asian cultures. That’s why some leaders of the local AAPI communities chose yesterday, 8/8, to unveil their new plans to commemorate Denver’s old Chinatown. It was at one point one of the largest Chinatowns in the American West, but now all that’s left is a racist old plaque a few blocks from where the neighborhood once was. City Cast Denver host Bree Davies sits down with one of the organizers, Dr. William Wei, to hear how the old plaque brought the group together, why it’s so important to enact change now, and what they hope for the future. Dr. William Wei is professor of history at CU Boulder, a former state historian, and the author of Asians in Colorado, which you should read if you want to learn more about the history of Colorado’s Chinese community. As unveiled at the event at Zoe Ma Ma across from Union Station yesterday, here is Dr. Wei’s proposed text for a new plaque commemorating Denver’s old Chinatown: Denver’s Historic Chinatown: 1869-1940Of the over 20 Chinese communities that once existed in the American West, Denver’s Chinatown was one of the largest and most prosperous. Chinatown’s origins can be traced to an anonymous Chinese immigrant who arrived in Denver in June 1869. He was probably one of the Chinese railroad workers who were mostly responsible for building the western half of the famous Transcontinental Railroad that unified the country economically and culturally.Chinatown was located on Wazee Street between 15th and 17th Streets, extending up to 22nd Street. It was a flourishing frontier community that provided a wide range of ethnic goods and services in a welcoming environment to Chinese immigrants working in Colorado and the Intermountain West. The Chinese immigrants performed mainly physical labor such as working in mines and building infrastructure. Eventually, they were relegated to marginal livelihoods such as laundrymen and cooks. Even though there were comparatively few Chinese residents, the local white population perceived them as an economic and cultural threat. Chinese encountered racial hostility and were denied civil rights, economic opportunity, and social equality. This hostility gave rise to “The Chinese Question,” a national controversy over whether Chinese laborers should be allowed to immigrate to the United States. Local antagonism led to Denver’s anti-Chinese race riot. On October 31, 1880, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 Denverites descended upon Chinatown to destroy it and drive out the Chinese. During the mob’s rampage, they lynched and beat to death a laundryman named Look Young. Though the murderers were brought to trial, they were acquitted of the crime. Despite continued tensions, most of the Chinese community remained to rebuild Chinatown. What sounded the death knell of Denver’s Chinatown were national laws preventing Chinese immigrants from establishing families in America and even from entering the country. Ironically, Denver’s anti-Chinese riot was cited as one of the reasons why the U.S. Congress enacted the disreputable Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) to ensure social stability.Since the end of World War II, Chinese and other Asian Pacific Americans have returned to Denver’s lower downtown area to live and work. No longer confined to an ethnic enclave, they can now be found throughout the Greater Denver Metropolitan area and Colorado. Looking for more stories of Denver past, present, and future? Look no further than the City Cast Denver newsletter. Subscribe now and get your first edition tomorrow morning: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Tweets tweets tweets tweets tweets tweets @citycastdenver 

A note from producer Lizzie Goldsmith:The end of May was a time of transition for City Cast Denver. Our regular host, Bree Davies, was heading off on maternity leave, producer Paul Karolyi was getting ready to take over as temporary host, and the whole team was preparing to welcome me, Lizzie Goldsmith, as a producer for the summer. I rarely stepped behind the mic, but I worked behind the scenes on this wonderful whirlwind of a podcast, getting to know its wonderful creators.It was an honor to help tell so many important stories, but it was also a lot of fun. There were so many outtakes from our three crew members who took turns as host — Bree, Paul, and producer Xandra McMahon — that didn’t make it into the show, so I put together this blooper reel for the team to commemorate the first summer of City Cast Denver. I hope you listeners enjoy it too!For more City Cast goodness in print form, subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/We’re also on Twitter @citycastdenver 

TGICCDF (Thank God It’s City Cast Denver Friday) which means it’s time to look back on the news of the week. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi chat about Historic Denver’s 50 actions for 50 places list that was released on Tuesday. They’ve also got a story update regarding the Park Hill Safe Outdoor Space (hear our episode from May 3 on the program here) and some weekend recommendations for things to do. Finally, the City Cast Denver crew learns a new locally-made board game: Canoosh. Here are links to Bree and Paul’s recommendations:Bree: Denver photographer Armando Geneyro’s exhibition “Brick & Soul” is at History Colorado through next JulyPaul: Former Denver Post reporter Dick Kreck’s “Smaldone: The Untold Story of An American Crime Family” should be available now from your favorite local bookstore. Want to know even more Denver things?! Subscribe to the CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Want some tweets? Here ya go: @CityCastDenver

Every day since July 5, Colorado health officials have issued an “action day” alert, warning residents about poor air quality across the Front Range. So what are we supposed to do about that? Not go outside during the summer anymore? Not breathe? Move? City Cast Denver host Bree Davies had questions, so we invited Dr. Anthony Gerber on the show for answers. He is professor of medicine and director of pulmonary research at National Jewish Health, as well as the chair of the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission. Dr. Gerber breaks down what exactly is so bad about our air, what we as individuals can do about it, and what we should be worried about.If you’re digging the pod, check out the newsletter! Subscribe right now and get all the Denver news delivered right to your inbox every weekday morning: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Or if tweets are more your speed, we do those too: @citycastdenver

Adam Cayton-Holland, Andrew Orvedahl, and Ben Roy: Together, they are The Grawlix, a comedy supergroup that has risen to the top of Denver’s comedy scene over the past 20 years, consistently selling out shows and even skipping off to Los Angeles for a few years to make a big Hollywood TV show (“Those Who Can’t” is now streaming on HBOMax). So now that they’ve restarted their monthly comedy nights at The Bug Theater, we invited Adam, Andrew, and Ben to look back talk about how Denver shaped them and whether they think it’s still a good place to be funny. Get ready for some plugs!Together, Adam, Andrew, and Ben make a very funny podcast called The Grawlix Saves the World and perform on the last Saturday of every month at The Bug (tickets are available now). Individually, Andrew launched an independent game publishing company last year called Occupied Hex Games. Adam has a new album, Hot Takes, coming out soon and is performing his one-man show, Happy Place, at The Bug on September 4. Ben has a new album out called Take the Sandwich, makes a podcast called 97.9 The Rat Race, performs with his band SPELLS, oh and he also finds time to teach jiu-jitsu at Easton Training Center in Arvada. Ben says to come take a class!Think about this: You wake up tomorrow, you sit down to breakfast and a morning scroll, and whoa! It’s City Cast Denver in your inbox! Awesome! And all you’ve got to do to make it happen is click this link: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/We promise to write some really good tweets for you today: @citycastdenver

Big name concerts and massive summer festivals are back in full swing, but how have local musicians fared throughout the pandemic? City Cast Denver host Bree Davies sits down with local music expert Bruce Trujillo to dig into the state of things for the music community here in Denver. As a radio host at Indie 102.3, an independent show booker, and now, as Concert Director for Swallow Hill Music, Trujillo knows the ins and outs of Denver’s diverse music scene. She shares her takes on pay equity for musicians, the importance of DIY music venues, and how online artistic collaboration has helped many artists stay connected to their communities throughout the last year and a half.Bruce’s local music recs from the episode:Ritmo CascabelKatiriaThe ManañasWant more Denver news in your inbox every weekday morning? Subscribe to our newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And don’t forget about those piping hot tweets: @CityCastDenver

Of Denver’s 56 historic districts and 352 individual landmarks, less than 3% commemorate non-white contributions to the city’s history. Tonight, Denver City Council could change that. They are set to vote on the creation of a historic cultural district in La Alma Lincoln Park, which would make it the first historic district in the country to honor the Chicano movement. Sitting outside the La Alma Rec Center, City Cast Denver host Bree Davies spoke with Ean Thomas Tafoya and Cathy and Desiree Prieto, community members who have strong roots in the neighborhood. They talk about the importance of La Alma Lincoln Park as not only a place where Chicano civil rights took hold, but where community pride is housed in the structures and city blocks they’ve called home. For more on the push to designate La Alma Lincoln Park a historic cultural district, here’s a write-up from Historic Denver. City Cast Denver was proud to have published one of the final interviews with former Colorado governor Dick Lamm last Monday. His wife Dottie Lamm announced this past Friday that the former governor died of complications related to a pulmonary embolism on Thursday evening. He was 85 years old. We have included a short remembrance in this episode. For more on his life and career in politics, we recommend these articles from the Denver Post and Colorado Public Radio:Former Gov. Richard ‘Dick’ Lamm, A Complex And Controversial Figure In Colorado Politics, Dies At 85Former three-term Colorado Gov. Dick Lamm dies at 85Subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter for more news from around Denver: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And get the tweets @citycastdenver

For this week’s news round-up, City Cast Denver host Bree Davies, producers Paul Karolyi and Xandra McMahon, and newsletter writer Peyton Garcia unpack the proposed $450 million infrastructure bond package, which Mayor Hancock detailed this week in his State of the City address. What would all that money fund? Who’s for it and who’s against it? And what’s a bond again? Smash that play button for answers to all those questions and more. Plus, we debut a new segment: New Denver/Old Denver.Subscribe to the newsletter here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And follow us on Twitter! @CityCastDenver 

Dr. Alex Marrero has only lived in Denver for three weeks. But as the new superintendent of Denver Public Schools, it’s his job to lead 90,000+ students when classes start next month. With open questions looming on masks in the classroom, equity, and cops in schools, he’s got quite the mountain to climb. City Cast Denver host Bree Davies sat down with Marrero yesterday to get to know him a little better and hear about his plans for DPS.For more from Dr. Marrero, here’s his open letter introducing himself to the DPS community: https://www.dpsk12.org/our-dps-weekly-july-16-2021/What goes together better than peanut butter and chocolate? A podcast and a newsletter. Subscribe to ours right here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And throw some tweets on top for a little extra flavor: @citycastdenver

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most loved places in all of Colorado. After a dip in visitation last year, it’s on a record-setting pace once again. But many people who visit see only the same old, same old: Trail Ridge Road, Bear Lake, etc. Enter: Exploring Estes Park, a new podcast aiming to help the 4+ million people coming through RMNP get off the beaten path and understand the land’s history through stories and inspiration from across the region. Award-winning travel writer Aaron Millar hosts the podcast, and he sits down with City Cast Denver producer Xandra McMahon to talk through some of the fascinating stories they found and offer some tips for your next trip to RMNP and Estes Park.Learn more about Aaron’s travel writing here: https://www.thebluedotperspective.com/And if you do want to follow in Isabella Bird’s footsteps any time soon, you’re going to need to follow this link and make a reservation before visiting RMNP: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htmDon’t forget to subscribe to our morning newsletter for even more news from around the city: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/And would someone please think of the tweets?! @citycastdenver