FDR

Guidance counselors say that many undocumented students are “afraid to come out of the shadows and disclose their status,” discouraged about the lack of opportunities that await them after high school. But a group of students at Benito Juarez Community Academy is working to change that.

Maria Chavez doesn’t enjoy talking about herself, having her picture taken, or taking credit for any of the work she’s done as an outspoken – and highly effective – activist for environmental justice.

Having breast cancer is hard. It’s even harder when you’re undocumented and uninsured. A grassroots support group in Pilsen, ELLAS (which stands for En La Lucha A Sobrevivir, or, In The Struggle To Survive, in English), is working to provide support.

Jeff Maldonado, a longtime Pilsen muralist, turned his personal tragedy into art and opportunity for others through the creation of the J-Def Peace Project.

Gentrification and school choice are combining to reduce enrollment in many Pilsen schools. But administrators at Benito Juarez Community Academy are luring students back, in part by drawing on community resources and bolstering their arts programming.

Alma Silva arrived in Chicago 20 years ago from her home in Coahuila, Mexico. Today, she is committed to social justice and improving the opportunities for immigrants in Chicago and beyond.

Carmen Velásquez was indignant about the lack of health care available in her community. So she fought to open a clinic. Today, Alivio Medical Center operates one urgent care center and six community health centers, three of them in local schools.

Lilliana Calderon found steady employment and financial independence with the help of Chicago Women in Trades, a local organization that helps women break into the male-dominated plumbing, carpentry, pipe-fitting, electric, and bricklaying trades. She recently bought her first home in Pilsen.

Pilsen residents have a long history of responding to violence with vigils, demonstrations, block parties, masses, and even basketball games, demonstrating opposition to the bloodshed and reclaiming corners that have succumbed to violence.

Pilsen’s buildings, alleyways, and even doors are places where artists express their roots, their values, and their opposition to injustice.

Even as national chains and big-box stores move into the Pilsen neighborhood, small businesses continue to be the economic backbone of the community. Eighteenth Street Development Corporation (ESDC) is one of several local organizations supporting them, and they are continually adapting to help keep the local economy thriving.

During the past twenty years, Guacolda Reyes went from intern to VP of The Resurrection Project. In the process, she’s helped develop more than 550 affordable housing units in the Pilsen neighborhood alone.

In January 2017, Ciera Mckissick opened a small gallery and arts incubator on the east side of Pilsen. She’s not from Pilsen, but says she has long been inspired by its art and its people. She is one of a growing number of newcomers attracted to the neighborhood.

Adults in Pilsen have historically worked menial jobs, with limited upward mobility. While at Instituto del Progreso Latino, Juan Salgado developed innovative new adult education programs, enabling thousands to improve their skills and launch prosperous careers. Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently tapped him to bring his skills to City Colleges of Chicago.

Hector Duarte’s vibrant, provocative murals reflect the experiences and dreams of immigrants like himself. He grew up in Michoacán, Mexico, but has long made the Pilsen neighborhood his home, and its streets his canvas.