An Immersive Week in Chicago
As a born and raised Chicagoan, I didn’t believe there was more to learn about the city I’d wandered around through car rides for 18 years. Little did I know the knowledge experiencing my hometown through an act as simple as walking would give me; I discovered the prevalence of culture in certain neighborhoods, along with the crisis of gentrification trying to strip the rich culture that makes these neighborhoods so unique away.
Two of the neighborhoods in which I felt a strong sense of community through their culture were Humboldt Park and Pilsen. The strength of these communities is derived from the large Hispanic populations that live and work within them. In my eyes, the Puerto Rican heritage of Humboldt Park and the Mexican heritage of Pilsen were represented most clearly through the murals I saw and the people I came across.
When walking through the streets of Humboldt Park, this mural by Cristian Roldán outside of the Family Dollar store stood out to me. On the far right, 4 Taíno petroglyphs are painted. All 4 of the petroglyphs are better shown in the picture below the mural. They symbolize the Coquí (associated with female fertility and children), the sun, the child, and another sun. These petroglyphs can be found in various locations across Paseo Boricua. The Puerto Rican flag is painted to the left of the petroglyphs, and to the left of the flag is a painting of the 1966 Divison Street Riots. These riots were caused by the Puerto Rican community being marginalized by the police, given poor housing conditions, and terrible treatment from the city. The resistance of the Puerto Rican community brought forth an awakening, shown on the left half of the mural. Those involved in the riots became either activists against police brutality, educators seeking to develop the future of the community, or creators of Paseo Boricua, a part of Division Street created in 1995, enriched by Puerto Rican culture. This mural held a deep meaning for me because rather than allowing gentrification to wipe out their native roots and people like it did in Lincoln Park, the Puerto Rican community of Humboldt Park stood its ground in the face of oppression and marginalization. With every step through the sidewalks of Paseo Boricua, I saw busy people upkeeping the Puerto Rican-owned businesses, colorful art representing the beauty of Puerto Rican heritage on every door, and a look of peacefulness coming from every person sitting on their balcony. I looked towards them and some would wave back to me with a smile. They were happy. They were at home.
Another mural that caught my eye was “Gulliver in Wonderland” in Pilsen. This mural by Hector Duarte represents Mexican immigrants’ difficulties in assimilating and integrating themselves into U.S. culture. The giant man painted is seen trying to break free from the barbed wire wrapped around him. The man is a Mexican immigrant and the barbed wire symbolizes the Mexican-American border, which he is fighting to cross for a better life. The man‘s face is covered by a Día de los Muertos mask, symbolizing the anonymity of immigrants and their fear of speaking out, while still holding onto their culture. Like Humboldt Park, Pilsen’s communal strength has not allowed gentrification to overtake the neighborhood. Aside from the many murals I saw, almost every business I walked past was Mexican or Mexican-owned; the dream-catcher store I shopped at, the ice cream store my Professor took my class to, and the record store I danced in because I love Latin music. I tried my best to utilize my Spanish skills as I spoke with the small business owners and employees I encountered. My favorite moment on my journey was when I said “¿Puedes atarme mis cordones?” to my peer, who had no idea what I was saying, and an old man walking near us kneeled to tie my shoelaces for me. We all laughed and when I told him I was a student, he gave me a pat on the back and said, “trabajas duro,” which means “work hard.” That’s when I realized what it means to uphold a community as strong as Pilsen: hard work in the face of gentrification. That was a memory I will cherish and remember every time I return to this neighborhood. Pilsen felt like the ‘Little Mexico’ of Chicago. It’s a special town that I hope stays true to its native culture for as long as possible.
Gentrification was a topic my class discussed heavily throughout the week because of its impact on Chicago neighborhoods. When walking through neighborhoods like Lincoln Park or Uptown, every person looked like an individual with little to no ties to their community; just people living in Chicago. Humboldt Park and Pilsen were the opposite. The people of these neighborhoods were unified, like one big family.
