This Latinx Heritage Month, United Way of Metro Chicago partnered with our Neighborhood Networks in Brighton Park, Cicero, and Little Village to spotlight Latinx-owned restaurants, cafes, shops, and other small businesses that call these vibrant communities home.
Esmeralda Gonzalez has a vision that one day when you Google search Little Village, the results are not shrouded by negativity or news of violence but instead are filled with stories that celebrate stories that celebrate the community’s rich Latinx heritage and culture.
Hosted by the Marshall Square Resource Network (MSRN), participants of the 5th Annual Peace March sought to commemorate the lives of individuals who’ve been killed in acts of violence and unite neighbors on a peaceful front. The march is an extension of the Little Village Neighborhood Network’s goal to reduce violence in the neighborhood, which frequently experiences both domestic and community violence.
Only 29 percent of jobs in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) fields are currently held by people of color. It’s not a lack of interest in these fields that prevent minority students from entering the workforce, but rather a lack of access and awareness. But that’s changing for youth in the communities of Austin and Little Village, two United Way Neighborhood Networks.