Laura N. Rodríguez Presa
@LAURA_N_ROD
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Bilingual Journalist at @Chicagotribune / Adj professor at DePaul University/ Maktub/ 1 John 4:16/ RTs ≠ endorsements /larodriguez @chicagotribune .com
Chicago, IL
Joined July 2011
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Undocumented elders are blocked from accessing social programs that seniors rely on, such as food stamps, public housing, Medicare & Social Security benefits.
Their families & communities often weave a patchwork of formal/informal resources to help them.
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A very emotional Don Rosario thanks God for the family that bought all his paletas on Sunday. He said that he doesn’t like to stay home and that’s why he decided to go out & sell. He doesn’t know that the same family helped to collect nearly $40,000 for him.
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Dozens of employees at El Milagro - tortilla production facilities - walk out
out, picket in front of the facility in Little Village to denounce decades-long abuse and demand fair pay, safe working conditions.
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The family who collected the money for Don Rosario, met with him today to tell him that they’ll be giving him a check from GoFundMe next week (the page has been closed). “I don’t deserve it,” he said repeatedly and then began singing and dancing. “Estoy muy contento,” he added.
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Though most major roads are blocked downtown Chicago, many found a way to Michigan Ave tonight for the annual cruising as a celebration of the upcoming Mexican Independence Day on Sept 16.
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Chicago marathoners running through Pilsen.
I love the way their face expressions change with the Mexican music.
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Students at Marist High School & some of their families hold a peaceful protest outside of the school to demand respect from peers & a safe environment for students of color.
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Woodland residents gather to protest against the opening of a shelter for migrants at a former school in the neighborhood.
“There’s plenty of room in Little Village for their people,” a resident said.
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Chicago Marathon runners from Mexico gather in Millennium Park and dance Caballo Dorado.
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Migrant mom and son walking to the Greyhound station from the 12th District.
After two weeks in Chicago they decided to return to Texas.
“There’s nothing here for us,” she said.
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She lost her job as a bartender when restaurants and bars closed in Chicago amid the pandemic. So she created one for herself and her friend. The two make and deliver cocktails during quarantine. Xingonas. Here’s the Love Lockdown.
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The power of Indigenous rituals: Aztec and African ancestral dancers join forces to bridge Black, Latino neighborhoods in Chicago:
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This is Don Rosario, a paletero in the south east side of Chicago. On Sunday, a local family bought all of the paletas he was selling so that he could go home to enjoy Father’s Day. The video went viral and hundreds of ppl donated money: ‘have no words to thanks them,’ he said.
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It’s almost 2 am and Pilsen residents are out here guarding 18th st.
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There are so many Mexican flags all over Chicago.
It feels like a hug.
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A Black and Brown unity march continues in Pilsen escorted by police: “Las Vidas Negras Importan,” some chant.
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In Little Village: Latinos meet time denounce the violence against Blacks: “Don’t let them divide us.”
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Un último recorrido: Don Lupillo Perez’s grandkids pushed his cart one last time down the route he took home after selling his raspados every summer. Family & friends followed as his favorite norteñas played, mourning another COVID-19 victim.
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A mother from Guanajuato, Mexico reunites with her undocumented sons in Chicago after 31 years of not seeing each other.
After a lifetime apart, the family reunited thanks for a program that facilities humanitarian visas for aging adults.
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Little Village tonight. Amid police presence and closure of streets, people continue to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day in the heart of the Mexican community in Chicago.
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Police station are no longer just landing zones for migrants arriving in Chicago from the southern border - they’ve built community there.
There’s a makeshift kitchen where mothers take turns cooking arepas and there’s a young men offering to cut the children’s hair.
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A running club in Pilsen mobilized to help tamaleras who had been robbed.
200 + people showed up to buy tamales from them: ‘These women are a staple in our community…we gotta support and care for one another.’
PC:
@el_barbudo42
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Important news: 1 in 5 Chicagoans identifies as Mexican, census data show.
We need more Latino/Bilingual/Bicultural reporters, community & city leaders.
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In December, Illinois will be the first state in the nation to provide Medicaid-like coverage for hundreds of undocumented immigrant seniors 65 and older.
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Thread: I have COVID19, & while I’m feeling optimistic, I’m also terrified. I did everything I could to protect myself by wearing a face mask & sanitizing my hands as much as I could. I only went out of my house for work, food & a run. I was extremely careful & it still happened.
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I’m feeling pretty disappointed by all the Día de Los Muertos parties at bars and whatnot in Chicago.
It is not a party, it’s a spiritual ceremony, a celebration of life by honoring those that have died.
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New normal: bar in Pilsen testing for COVID-19 before allowing people inside. Results take 1-2 mins.
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For many Mexican immigrants, selling tamales became their livelihood in this city many decades ago. Now, Venezuelan migrants are selling arepas in the streets of Chicago.
A way to survive, but also a way to remember their home.
Read the story.
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After a lifetime in Chicago selling tamales, a one-way ticket to Mexico: An undocumented mother returns home without the children for whom she came to this country.
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A group of migrants from the Pilsen shelter attempted to deliver a letter to the
@ChicagosMayor
denouncing mistreatment and abuse at the makeshift shelter.
The group says they’ve been denied help and resources to find housing.
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Brighton Park residents protest against the migrants tents that could be erected in the neighborhood.
Dozens of people from the Asian and Latino community have come together this morning.
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Today is Mexican Independence Day, not Cinco de Mayo.
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Venezuelan immigrants wait to be picked up to be taken to a shelter in Chicago after arriving from Texas.
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Look at this photo of two men selling cotton candy in Pilsen amid the recent winter storm.
Mario Bernal, a Chicago photojournalist, took it & shared it on his Facebook.
He wrote: Raza be like, “Esto no es nada” 💪🏽🇲🇽 The struggle is real fam!
#ChicagoStrong
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Celebrating Mexican Independence Day, Chicago-style, with car caravans & flag waving: ‘It’s a sense of belonging’
Thousands have taken over downtown even as street closures continue.
While some celebrate, others are concerned about the closures:
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Correction: ‘I have no words to thank them.’ He went out to sell today with his botas, sombrero and cinturón piteado.
“Yo soy muy de rancho,” he said as he sang El Muchacho Alegre.
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‘He reminds us of our fathers, our abuelos, who despite any hardships, age or health issues, they choose to keep working to earn money in a very honest way,’ Karen Gonzalez. Her father & uncle bought all of Don Rosario’s paletas.
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I went on a date yesterday and the guy wore a
@BlockClubCHI
shirt because he knew I was writer.
That’s a love language.
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Imagine how hard it is for elders who do not speak English, do not own or know how to use a computer and do not have anyone who can help them...
My friend’s mom trying to get a vaccine appointment for her 92-year-old grandma this morning in Manatee County, Florida.
It worked.
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Five years ago, a group of Chicago street vendors banded together to rent a commercial kitchen to prepare their tamales, tacos and fresh-cut fruit.
Now, they've bought the building to grow their businesses & help other vendors get their license to sell.
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The faces of the BLM movement: Manny Cabrera and Deante Jones shake hands during the
#BlackAndBrown
rally in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.
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This is Don Rosario, a paletero in the south east side of Chicago. On Sunday, a local family bought all of the paletas he was selling so that he could go home to enjoy Father’s Day. The video went viral & hundreds of ppl donated money: ‘I have no words to thanks them,’ he said.
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And some bikers joined the Mexican Independence Day celebration downtown tonight as well.
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News: I’ll be joining the
@chicagotribune
newsroom covering the Latino community to continue to tell our stories now in English, but some in Spanish too. I’m hoping to work to ensure that we continue to have a space & a voice here.
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Migrants forced to stay outside the police station despite the rain.
Some of their beds and belongings are now wet, and many will spend the night on the sidewalks.
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Let me remind everyone that I’m one of the lowest paid journalists in my newsroom, per our union pay study.
It’s so disappointing and upsetting. Those in power need to step in and help change this across all industries.
It’s unfair and immoral.
Happy Latina Equal Pay Day to all the Latinas out there hustling day in and day out to earn 52 cents for every dollar their white male coworkers make (on average) 🙃
And happy Thursday to everyone else who openly talks about their pay at work in an effort to close the wage gap.
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A group of Woodlawn residents hosted the first bilingual service & lunch for migrants living at the shelter in the former Wadsworth school - hope to unify the neighborhood.
“Tell all your friends, your family at the center that they’re welcome & we have a lot of space here.”
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Immigrant couple returns to Mexico to retire after 3 decades of working in Chicago: ‘It’s a dream of many undocumented people.’
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I don’t know who needs to hear this but Mexicans don’t really celebrate 5 de Mayo... it is NOT Mexican Independence Day! I do, however, welcome the tacos and margaritas today, like any other day.
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The march continues through the 26th St. corridor chanting in Spanish and English: “I can’t breathe, no puedo respirar.” The protesters are not only denouncing the violence against Blacks, they are also urging the Mexican-American community to unite:
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Woke up to a few gunshots through our window.
This is extremely scary and concerning.
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Here’s Don Ananias looking at himself on the front page of the
@chicagotribune
. He’s become more than just a face of the new health coverage program for undocumented elders in IL. He is a beloved ice cream vendor in Pilsen who can hardly walk, but works everyday.
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A new mural in Pilsen is dedicated to essential workers. Mateo Zapata and Pablo Serrano painted the portraits of local workers. Photos: Chicago MidwestMade
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A migrant family gets ready to spend the cold night in their tent outside D1.
“We’re afraid of what tomorrow will feel like,” the mother said.
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For the record, most of the newly arrived migrants were ‘allowed’ in the country by the federal government to seek asylum but also the federal government doesn’t provide them with a job permit, so they must be sponsored. They are mostly from Venezuela, NOT Mexico.
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Yearly reminder that Mexicans don’t celebrate Cinco de Mayo and it is NOT our Independence Day.
Cheers!
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At least 14 workers from the plant by 21st and Western were locked out of the facility after returning from the action.
El Milagro management is not responding, employees and organizers report.
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Very unrealistic, according to vendors that I’ve talked to.
Vendors have worked with cash for decades, many don’t know how to work/ manage the technology behind it. Their clients -most older Latinos- also may not have or want the apps needed to pay without cash.
Mayor Lightfoot said tamale vendors going cashless is one potential solution they're working with to deal with string of Little Village robberies.
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My mom once told me that I would be a good reporter because I was a such a ‘chismosa.’
Sigo igualita de chismosa.
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My latest: Some migrants in Chicago are leaving shelters or refusing to go into one despite the cold.
And if it wasn’t too cold, they say, they wouldn’t mind living in the outdoor settlements they have created.
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In Pilsen, Mile 19 of the Chicago Marathon: A mariachi and banda cheer on the runners.
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Some personal news: I’m the only reporter for
@hoy_media
-
@chicagotribune
’s Spanish newspaper (section now)- in a city with one of the largest populations of Latinos in this country. So, it’s safe to say: it’s time for a fair contract!
@CTGuild
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I’m feeling pretty ashamed & frustrated because there have been ongoing conversations in the newsroom about the harmful narratives that we have the power to feed and create about Black and brown people in our city.
My coworker’s opinion piece does not reflect our reporting.
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Family buys all of a Chicago paletero’s ice pops on Father’s Day, collects nearly $40K for him: ‘He refuses to stop working’
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So excited & proud to share that I’m the 2024 Truthteller Fellow.
The fellowship is awarded to an English-language journalist whose work exposes the forces behind social, political or cultural injustice.
@utvmx
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Another beloved street vendor from Little Village died. Don Lupillo, who sold raspados for nearly 20 years, did not survive COVID-19. He was known for making the refreshing drinks w/ fresh fruits. Los veranos no serán los mismos sin el, dijo su sobrina:
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From Little Village, pastor Matt DeMateo shared photos of Black & Latino residents together. He wrote: “Changing the narrative...we’re stronger together. Uniting our communities, standing against hate and division, standing in solidarity with our black brothers and sisters.”
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Alden wants to take our 401K match and doesn’t offer any raises.
Tribune journalists are standing up. We are already the lowest paid journalists despite the work we do. Despite how the world is changing.
Please support our union.
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Sunday routine: “But what I love the most about Mexican grocery stores has nothing to do with the snacks and chiles...It’s the women who call me “mijo” and tell me “Que Dios te cuidé” when I say goodbye.” From
@_joseolivarez
’s
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Today I got an award for Best Beat Reporting at
@chicagotribune
as I was rushing to meet a deadline.
Luckily I was at my mom’s house & as soon as I submitted my story I ran to tell her.
‘My heart is so happy, are you getting a diploma?’ she asked.
I do it all for you momma!
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This mother and her baby planned to sleep in this makeshift tent.
Around 1am they couldn’t handle the cold and she asked people inside to make some space for them.
“I didn’t how cold it got,” she said.
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‘We sing when we’re happy and when we’re hurting’: Chicago mariachis sing farewell to fellow players at their wakes to honor one another through the craft that united them. It is sign of respect & camaraderie:
Here’s Amor Eterno for ‘Tino.’
Story->
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Some Mexican and city leaders say that the caravans should be embraced & controlled rather than policed and criminalized to avoid traffic jams and violence.
Read the full story before commenting!
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Chicago artist come together for the Mural Movement Fest to beautify the viaducts in Pilsen.
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My latest: Migrant family journeys back to Venezuela, more leaving Chicago as winter looms: ‘The American Dream doesn’t exist anymore’
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Some of the men guarding the streets of Pilsen tonight say they’re not harassing innocent Black ppl. “We are just targeting ppl that are looting,” one said. “Looting comes in all colors...color doesn’t exist anymore, safety is the color.”
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While walking through the Little Village Discount Mall, I was reminded of my father: Most Sunday evenings we would go to the Megamall after church. The scents and sound are the same. I see the type of boots he used to buy. I see the toy I would have asked for.
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Volunteers from Little Village arrive at Union Station to offer to take the immigrants to a safe place to spend the night.
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I really dislike how my story has been twisted left and and right.
A reminder to read the original piece and not the curated ones.
BREAKING: Fed-up migrants who trekked thousands of miles to US already heading home
“American Dream doesn’t exist”
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According to Gonzales, nearly 30,000 Ukrainians have come to the Chicago area, but there is no narrative in the media that they are creating a crisis because “the government is quietly integrating them with work permits and social benefits”
Read the story.
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Marches in Latino communities to show support in solidarity with the Black community, continue today.
“Our lives as brown people are connected to the lives of blacks.
We will never get respect until black people get respect,” one of the speaker told the crowd in LV.
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These are some of the groups taking care part of Pilsen, still a predominantly Latino neighborhood. After hearing concerns circulating on social media that Latinos (particularly gangs) are targeting all Blacks in the neighborhood, they said Black residents can feel safe.
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Chicago a Sanctuary City means that they will not ask about immigration status, disclose information to authorities, or deny you services based on immigration status.
Here’s a timeline of how it developed. It has little to do with new migrants & money.
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There’s something really special when celebrating Mexico’s Independence Day in another country. It is pure nostalgia and pride. Many left their native towns out of extreme necessity, but they miss it every day. The people, the smells, the love. 1/2
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Street vendors in Chicago selling the iconic Anahi pink hat and the red RBD tie.
After 15 years, the legendary Mexican band RBD reunites and returns to Chicago as part of their sold-out global
#SoyRebeldeTour
.
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Isabel Hernandez of Pilsen turned her pandemic grief into the strength to build a 15-foot ofrenda to honor her neighbors’ loved ones.
The seven-tier altar in her yard is adorned by more than 250 photos of people from her community who lost their lives:
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Fourth group of Venezuelan migrants arrive in Chicago from Texas.
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Good news friends: my taste and smell are finally coming back after 7 months, and so now I’m want to eat everything on sight just to ‘test’ it and see where I’m at. Not looking forward to the weight gain but so ecstatic to be able to smell the world again. Nostalgia!
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Some personal news: I’ll be teaching bilingual journalism and advising students at
@DePaulJOUR
-my alma mater.
A privilege and important responsibility.
@LaDePaulia
@pueblo14eastmag
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Most migrants coming to Chicago say they don’t know about the conditions they’ll face here: live in police stations, sleep on floors/sidewalk, no hot meals or access to showers daily.
But they get a free ride from Texas & hear they’ll get help here.
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Young community activists are guarding small businesses in Back of The Yards, others are checking on street vendors in LV
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A collective or artists now volunteering to paint murals over the boarded storefronts on 18th St with messages in support of BLM. Prior to this, other neighbors helped to board the stores:
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I’m feeling positive but I want to share my experience because I felt fine, looked fine and still have the virus. So, take care of yourself and others.
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More: The local alderman said the opposition from the neighborhood should not be seen as anti-immigrant sentiment but rather as local residents feeling disrespected by the city’s plan to repurpose a school that the community had fought to keep open.
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Bernie con la Señorita Laura.
I had to share this one.
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@elchupavergass
I’ll be with Don Rosario later today. They’ll be there too and I’ll update this.
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My latest: Freezing temperatures, uncertainty and concern among migrants living outside Chicago police stations: ‘How are we going to survive winter here?’
w/
@nellbsalzman
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A mariachi plays as hundreds of families in Little Village receive groceries just in time for Christmas. During the pandemic, New Life has expanded its food distribution, in partnership w/ the Food Depository, to meet the rising need in several West Side communities.
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I’ve been teaching at DePaul for a month now. Walking into DePaul as an adjunct professor still feels surreal. There was a time when I felt intimidated walking into class as a student. There’s beauty & struggle in being a first-gen.
DePaul was my dream school, a thread…
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Breaking News: Migrants will be limited to no more than 60 days in city-run shelters.
Story coming.
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