Stories by Daniel Hautzinger

With the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which banned all Chinese immigration and naturalization, many Chinese immigrants began moving eastward to towns like Chicago, where they slowly cemented a presence despite the demographic restrictions of the Act. 

Every year American troops are honored with a National Memorial Day Concert on the lawn of the Capitol, broadcast live by PBS the day before Memorial Day. Meet the performers, including some famous Chicago natives, in this patriotic special here.

Spring may be here, but there's still a chill in the air. Take advantage of the fresh green produce of early spring – asparagus, spring onions, spinach – and warm yourself against the cool damp with this bright and warming spring risotto

We're always being told not to judge a book by its cover, but in this case you should: can you identify 20 books from The Great American Read's list of America's 100 favorite novels by just their covers? Test your knowledge here, and get reading!

Who are some of the more prominent parks in the "City in a Garden" named after, and why? From Humboldt Park to Horner Park to Sherman Park, learn about the history of Chicago's 8,800 acres of parkland and the origins of some of the parks' names.

From who curtsys to whom to the various forms of deference shown to the queen to restrictions regarding travel and dress, the royal family has some unusual strictures that they follow. Brush up on them before the royal wedding this Saturday. 

May brings a lot to celebrate: mothers, spring, a royal wedding. Watch two classic American portrayals of mother-daughter relationships, enjoy some spring-themed cooking, and indulge your craving for all things royal with documentaries that go behind the scenes of kings and queens.

Studs Terkel talked to everyone, from people down on their luck to people at the top of their career. Now many of his insightful conversations are available through the Studs Terkel Radio Archive – discover five exceptional conversations with remarkable people here.

Tom Wolfe, who wrote The Right Stuff and Bonfire of the Vanities and gave us the terms "'Me' decade" and "radical chic," died yesterday at the age of 88. Watch him discuss his trademark white suit and the similarities between counterculture and evangelicalism in this archival interview.

The prime suspects in the murder of David Walker seem to have watertight alibis despite the possibility of motives, but Cassie eventually has a breakthrough and an investigation of childhoods leads to an answer. Recap the finale of this season of Unforgotten.

"Bonsai" literally translates to "planted in a container," but the Japanese art form is much more complicated than that. The Chicago Botanic Garden's bonsai curator explains how you train a tree, the goals and some basic tenets of bonsai, and shows some of his favorites.

Louisa May Alcott may be best-known for her classic Little Women, but she also wrote racy potboilers in which women transgress societal norms under a pseudonym that wasn't traced to her until decades after death, as well as children's fables and moralisti young adult books.

She's not just a Chicago Tonight correspondent – Brandis Friedman has also been a beauty and lifestyle writer, considered becoming a professional dancer, and loves eating out. Go behind the scenes with her while she shoots a story and learn why she became a journalist.

PBS loves books. From Masterpiece adaptations of classic novels to documentaries about authors, literature plays a big role in our programming. As we celebrate reading with The Great American Read, discover which of America's favorite novels, plus some other worthy books, can be seen on TV.

Cassie and Sunny begin to uncover traumas and transgressions in the pasts of nearly everyone connected with their cold case, including the victim. David Walker had a dark life, and a new revelation against him soon transforms the entire investigation.