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Learning to live with differing death rituals
As Americans get ready for Halloween with costumes and candy, across the border in Mexico florists are stocking their shelves with wreaths and flower arrangements. El Dia de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, is Nov. 1, and it is not at all …Read More
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SYRIAN STUDENTS’ RISKY JOURNEY
Zeina and Jamal use the words honor and lucky when talking about their arrival at the Illinois Institute of Technology. They are honored to be two of 14 students from Syria attending the South Side university, part of an initiative by IIT to bring some …Read More
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IIT helps students escape Syrian war
For weeks last spring, Gerald Doyle expressed concern to his colleagues about the civil war in Syria and its horrific toll on innocent people. In June, his preoccupation led the vice provost at the Illinois Institute of Technology to set in motion a plan to …Read More
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A veteran climbs out of ‘nut mode’
Like many voters in Illinois and across the country, Ronald Baltierra says he is fed up with incumbent politicians who, generally speaking, have become synonymous with gridlock. Baltierra, a retired small-business owner who lives in Wicker Park, decided to take a stand against them by …
Learning a lesson: ‘It’s not enough to be proud’ of Mexican roots
You can tell William Luna that you are proud of your Mexican roots, but you have to be ready for a question. Why? “It’s not enough to be proud,” Luna, a historian of Mexico and Mexican-American culture told me. “That’s synthetic pride if they don’t …
Business owners struggle on 26th Street
The enticing aromas I smelled at lunchtime on 26th Street in Little Village last week, coming from the neighborhood’s authentic Mexican restaurants, concealed the stories of struggles in a reeling economy. El Pollo Ranchero restaurant can lure customers in with a feast for the senses …
THE DROWNING OUT OF MODERATES
In the current political and economic climate, there is little tolerance for moderates. There are many of us who exist quietly as we process information from the left and the right. We are sometimes hesitant to discuss politics because extremists from both sides seem to …
Group helps immigrants’ kids gain from playing sports
Estefania Nieto made a bold move by joining the Palatine High School golf team. It took some guts for the freshman because she had to sell her immigrant parents on the idea. By and large, immigrants put tremendous value on hard work and academics. “That’s …
Math whiz helps CPS students
To attract top graduates from City Colleges of Chicago and other community colleges in the U.S. to its South Side campus, the Illinois Institute of Technology established a Presidential Scholarship program a few years ago. The program, which awards students $28,500 for tuition and housing, …
Pilsen dorm gives college students a home
For several months, the construction of a building in the heart of Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood has created a buzz among its Latino residents and business owners. It is a modern six-story dormitory appropriately named La Casa (the house) that opened its doors last week to …
Stunning Olympic gold gives Mexicans a boost
The gold medal won by Mexico in Saturday’s Olympic soccer final, against star-studded Brazil, is something Mexicans will talk about for decades to come. Until the weekend, Mexico never had played in an Olympic final. World Cup finals have been elusive. Generations of Cubs fans …
Art museum camps lets kids connect to roots
On a recent visit to the National Museum of Mexican Art, I saw adults of all ages quietly studying murals with steady eyes. In a nearby stage room the vibe was electric as children awkwardly and excitedly tried to nail the steps of an Aztec …
His big dream built small business in Pilsen
We can draw inspiration from sports heroes, deep-pocketed CEOs and humanitarians. Or you can stroll through a Chicago neighborhood with small shops owned by big dreamers and find some amazing success stories. Abel Sauceda makes that list. Sauceda, 75, is a baker who owns Panaderia …Read More
Pop Warner opts to keep kids safe
Pop Warner, the nation’s largest youth football organization, announced last month it was drastically reducing “contact” during practices. In other words, children would be subjected to fewer hits and tackles by their peers. On its website, the organization said it acted in light of developing …Read More
Latino vote could make/break election
Araceli Flores is an enthusiastic 19-year-old college student looking forward to voting in her first presidential election in November. A sophomore at the University of Illinois at Chicago, she has been waiting for President Obama and Mitt Romney to make an impression on her. With …Read More
Violence in Mexico stokes fear here
The Mexican drug cartels, at war with each other and their government, command attention for more than 47,000 killings they have committed in Mexico since 2006. They represent an immeasurable degree of lawlessness running rampant through that country. News reports focus heavily on the cartels …
A bittersweet Father’s Day
Father’s Day is a week away. The most memorable one I spent with my father, in 2001, also was the worst. My dad was 73 and dying of stomach cancer. He had been living with my husband and me in Des Plaines for nine months. …
