June 29, 2008
New York Times Hearts Pilsen
An article in today's New York Times travel section focuses on our city's thriving Hispanic culture, Pilsen in particular, calling it "Chicago's fashionable Latino neighborhood." It's no secret that we here at Chicagoist are fans of the plentiful eats there. But, as the article points out, Pilsen is more than just food -- it is where the epicenter of Mexican culture and energy is in Chicago.
“It’s happening so fast,” said Carlos Tortolero, who came to Chicago from Mexico at age 3 and, as a 28-year-old school teacher in 1982, started what would become the National Museum of Mexican Art, the city’s leading Latino cultural organization. “It’s becoming a very Mexican city.”The museum made a name for itself in 2006 when it opened an exhibition about the influence of Africans in Mexico. In a city known for its racial separation, blacks flocked to Pilsen for the show. This summer, the museum will insert itself into the national political debate with an exhibition opening on the Fourth of July — “A Declaration of Immigration” — that will go beyond painting and sculpture to present data to argue that point. “It is pro-American to be pro-immigrant,” Mr. Tortolero said.
As it's a travel article, the piece doesn't go into the gentrification issues that concern many within the neighborhood, only briefly referring to the "Anglo newcomers" that have moved in.
“Right now we’re co-existing,” said Sylvia Rivera, general manager of a youth-programmed radio station, WRTE-FM (www.wrte.org), based in Pilsen and owned by the National Museum of Mexican Art. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that and share, as well.”
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Cool! I always forget about pilsen. I lived there in 2000 when it was a complete dump. I wonder how much its changed.
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Actually I take that back. It wasn't a dump but it was, erm, still kinda rough around the edges. I remember being woken up by an escaped rooster running down 18th street at 5:30am.
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Pilsen is the best neighborhood in the city. I've been saying this for a while, maybe people will finally listen now that the NYT is on it.
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Pilsen is the best neighborhood in the city. I can't believe that Daley is trying to whitewash it. It's so ridiculous that Daley continues to whitewash things. What's next, a children's museum here? I'm so sick of Daley and him screwing everyone over and all of his Olympic ambitions. Screw the regime!
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lots of gunfights at cullerton and throop in 2000 it smelled like permanent marker all the time at cullerton and peoria. great location, though. is podmajersky still the baron of east pilsen??
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"Pilsen is more than just food." It's a third world country.
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I'm sure that article is another small step towards whitewashing that particular neighborhood. Now, elitist white Chicagoans feel comfortable enough to move into that part of town just to save on the mortgage because someone at the New York Times has deemed it hip and cool.
God, so sorry, but I'm bitter. I really hate the New York Times.
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Just curious Jaws, why all the hate for the NYT?
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So about this whitewashing business - I'm a white Chicagoan. At the moment, I'm of modest means. Were I to do well in my career and decide to take out a mortgage, am I automatically an "elitist" who would be "whitewashing" a neighborhood and taking away its character? It seems like we're painting with a pretty broad brush here. I would hate to turn into the white devil suddenly and without reason because of an uptick in my salary.
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Dear JawsofJosh
Would you consider joining a Spook in a Dream? It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
That one day the sons and daughters of Latin Kings,Jivers,Jokers,Cobras,Two Sixers of Pilsen and the sons and daughters of New York Times Readers who live in Pilsen will sit down at the table of brotherhood together! I have a Dream!
But will you join me in this dream, O JawsofJosh?
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"is podmajersky still the baron of east pilsen??"
Royce76-They still rule the land, very much so. Every building has their little plaque on it. And I rent from them. I seriously think they own most of 18th St and a large portion of Halsted.
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Whitewashing pilsen HMMM pilsen was polish/lithuanian long before it was hispanic. nieghborhoods in chicago change all the time.
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Yeah, I love comments about whitewashing old rich white neighborhoods like Pilsen, Logan Square, etc.
One thing I like better about NYC (and I like very few things better about New York) is how, with a few neighborhood exceptions, people of all colors, races, and economic means live more or less side by side. Unlike Chicago, where they are cleanly separated by Ashland. I mean Western. I mean Kedzie. I mean, oh shit the white people are taking over!
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Sorry, Pilsen was never a rich neighborhood, I take that part back.
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"people of all colors, races, and economic means live more or less side by side."
This is a reason to totally love the NYC!
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I saw sex and the city there are no poor people or minorites in nyc