Stories by erica gunderson

Muralist Nikko Locander, also known as Ali Six, said he wants people to find hope in the 15-foot-high mural “The Butterfly Effect” he created to grace a Wicker Park train embankment. (WTTW News)

Chicago Artist Ali Six Creates Mural for Wicker Park

Chicago spring may be fickle, but the recent explosion of public art has also brought some color and life to the city. One local muralist is hoping his 15-foot-high mural in Wicker Park inspires people to find hope. It’s called “The Butterfly Effect.”

The members of Los Improviachis will be the first to tell you they’re not traditional mariachis. (WTTW News)

Comedy Troupe Brings Mirth and Mariachi to Improv

A group of local comedians is bringing a taste of Latin culture to their comedy routine. In what is often a white-dominated space, they hope their acts add some variety and relatability. 

(WTTW News)

Organized Retail Crime Bill Proposed to Address ‘Smash-and-Grab’ Thefts

Illinois lawmakers have proposed a new bill that defines organized retail crime for the first time in statute. But some community groups are raising concerns saying the legislation will further harm communities that have been oppressed by the criminal justice system for decades. 

(WTTW News)

University of Chicago Study Reveals Benefits of Early Bilingual Education for English Learners

The Illinois State Board of Education is announcing a $4 million grant to cover tuition costs for teachers interested in becoming licensed to teach English-language learners.

(WTTW News)

Culinary School Sets the Table for Food Industry Equity

Food Hero, a culinary school that operates on a social enterprise model, offers instruction on food preparation and entrepreneurship free of charge. Founder Javier Haro says the idea came in part from his own experience as the former owner of a tapas restaurant in Pilsen.

(WTTW News)

Puerto Rican Flags Over Paseo Boricua Approach Landmark Status

In 1995 two 60-foot-high Puerto Rican flags were planted over Division Street, also known as Paseo Boricua, solidifying its identity as the heart of the Puerto Rican community in Chicago. Now, the flags are poised to receive landmark status from the city.

(WTTW News)

State’s Overdose Action Plan Seeks to Save Lives

The Illinois Overdose Action Plan offers new and expanded resources to help treat substance abuse and addiction.

(WTTW News)

Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults Expansion Takes Effect

In December 2020, Illinois expanded Medicaid to provide health coverage to immigrant adults ages 65 and older. Now, another expansion offers health care benefits to low-income immigrants ages 55 to 64 starting May 1. 

(WTTW News)

One Year After Toledo and Alvarez Deaths, Communities Reflect on Role of Police in Public Safety

In March 2021, the city was sent reeling when Chicago police officers shot and killed Adam Toledo and Anthony Alvarez just a few days apart. We look at where the relationship between law enforcement and Latino communities stands.

University of Chicago sociology professor Robert Vargas’s new book “Uninsured in Chicago: How the Social Safety Net Leaves Latinos Behind” takes a deep dive into what keeps Latinos feeling locked out of health care access.

New Book Studies Why Many Latinos Lack Health Insurance

Through extensive personal interviews conducted over three years, a new book takes a deep dive into what keeps Latinos feeling locked out of health care access. It’s called “Uninsured in Chicago: How the Social Safety Net Leaves Latinos Behind.”

(WTTW News)

‘A Search for Unity’ Heralds the Life and Legacy of Rudy Lozano

Rudy Lozano’s life is the subject of a new exhibit at UIC’s Richard J. Daley Library. It brings together a collection of papers, photos, and other items to tell the story of the activist and community organizer. It’s a story that some say is integral to the story of Chicago’s Latinos as they forged an identity in the city.

Germán López is performing in Chicago at the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago on March 25, 2022. (Credit Nacho Gonzalez)

Germán López Transcends Tradition with a Timple, the Instrument of the Canary Islands

When it’s used to play the traditional music of the Canary Islands, the small instrument’s sound is often bright and folksy. But in the hands of Germán López, whose style combines the sound of the Canary Islands with pop and world rhythms, the timple takes on an entirely new character.

(WTTW News)

Examining the World’s Reaction to Ukrainian Refugees: A Voices Crossover Discussion

As Russian forces invade Ukraine, more than 2 million Ukrainians have now fled their homes and sought refuge in neighboring countries —most of them greeted with warmth and generosity. But people fleeing conflict or disaster in other countries have not been welcomed with such open arms in Europe or here in the U.S.

local nonprofit Girls 4 Science is offering a free program called Saturday STEM Academy for girls ages 10 to 18. (Courtesy: Jackie Lomax)

Chicago Program Gets Girls Revved Up for STEM Careers

In recent years, educators have made extra efforts to encourage children to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Especially girls. To help with this, the local nonprofit Girls 4 Science is offering a free program called Saturday STEM Academy for girls ages 10 to 18.

(WilliamCho / Pixabay)

Legal Aid Organizations Call on Gov. Pritzker for Increased Funding

The Illinois Access to Justice coalition comprises 67 nonprofit legal aid organizations that offer Illinoisans free legal representation and free training on legal literacy. Now, it’s calling on the state to help with funding to help expand its services.

(Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Masks Off (Again) – Looking Ahead to Living with COVID-19

This week seems to have marked a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic with the lifting of masking mandates and vaccine checks in Chicago. But as spring approaches, it’s also a reminder that we’ve been here before. 

Procurement and business development manager for Big Mich, Xavier Mondujano. (WTTW News)

Start It Up – Advice from Latino Entrepreneurs on Striking Out for Yourself

According to the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative’s 2021 report, Latino entrepreneurs continue to outpace the rest of the startup population. So, why take the risk of starting your own business? We spoke with some local entrepreneurs about how they got their starts.

“Que La Libertad Nos Bese En Los Labios Siempre” is a new mural in Little Village by Yollocalli Arts Reach artists. (WTTW News)

Little Village Mural Depicts Chicago’s Labor Legacy

A new mural near 30th and Ridgeway in Little Village depicts the figures behind a pivotal moment in Chicago’s labor history: the Haymarket Affair.

Like Rosie the Riveter, ironworker Jennifer Ortiz wants women to know they can do it.  (WTTW News)

She Can Do It: La Ultima Palabra on Women in Skilled Trades

Like Rosie the Riveter, ironworker Jennifer Ortiz wants women to know they can do it. Here, she gives La Ultima Palabra on how the spark that ignited her career in the trades can work for other women, too.

(stevepb / Pixabay)

Where Industry, Environment and Community Meet: Rethinking Chicago’s Manufacturing Future

In the wake of the decision to reject a permit for a metal shredding and recycling operation on the city’s Southeast Side, environmental justice advocates say now is the time for the city and industrial leaders to work together and find ways to meet the needs of both the community and corporations.

Benito Juarez Community Academy Principal JuanCarlos Ocon appears on “Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices” via Zoom. Feb. 25, 2022. (WTTW News)

Scholarship News Brings Excitement, Joy to Benito Juarez Community Academy

Nonprofit organization Hope Chicago told students at Benito Juarez Community Academy they were recipients of fully-funded scholarships at their choice of 20 colleges, universities, and other education programs across Illinois.

In “Making Mexican Chicago: From Postwar Settlement to the Age of Gentrification,” Mike Amezcua explores how the Windy City became a Latinx metropolis in the second half of the twentieth century, offering a powerful multiracial history of Chicago that sheds new light on the origins and endurance of urban inequality.

‘Making Mexican Chicago’ Traces History of Mexican Communities in Chicago

The story of how La Villita and Chicago’s other Mexican enclaves developed is the subject of “Making Mexican Chicago: From Postwar Settlement to the Age of Gentrification.” The book walks the streets of the city’s Mexican communities and explores the history of the forces that shaped them.

Peanut butter and jelly paczki from Polombia. (WTTW News)

Where Can You Get Tropical Paczki? Only in Polombia

The last day before Lent has many names: Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras. It's also known as Paczki Day when Chicagoans prepare for Lent by indulging in as many of the traditional Polish jam-filled doughnuts as they can eat.

Rodolfo Alvarez’s jam-packed 18th Street store has been the place to go for Pilsen residents looking for a new shovel or pipe fitting since he bought the business from his father-in-law in the 1980s. (WTTW News)

Pilsen Fixture Alvarez Hardware Plans to Keep Old-Fashioned Business in the Family

Competition from big-box stores and a lack of successors has forced many small family-run businesses in Chicago to close their doors. But the owner of a longtime fixture on 18th Street is nailing down plans to ensure his store has a different fate.

(WTTW News)

Latino Families Feeling the Pinch of Inflation

As record-high inflation impacts every American’s wallet, Latino spending patterns mean they could be feeling the pinch even more.

(WTTW News)

Kids First Chicago CEO on What’s Behind the Drop in Enrollment at CPS

In the last 20 years, the Chicago public school system has lost more than 100,000 students, with 40,000 leaving the system in the last five years. An education advocacy group digging into the root causes of the enrollment drop found some factors unique to Chicago, and some trends that are nationwide.