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Ana Laura Saavedra poses for a photograph in Little Village (Courtesy of Ana Laura Saavedra Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Saavedra used the Little Village Arch as a sign of triumph when she graduated with her doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. With her cap and gown, Saavedra posed under the arch<\/a> demonstrating to her community that she not only beat the odds, but takes pride in her roots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI couldn’t have done what I did without my upbringing,\u201d Saavedra said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although she is proud that the arch is being recognized as a citywide landmark, she says the recognition is \u201clong overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c[The arch] is the heart of Little Village. There’s no Little Village without that,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other residents, like Ana Solano, 27, have different opinions on the decision taken by the Commission on Chicago Landmark department and City Council. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Solano, who is a Little Village resident of over 20 years and resides by the Crawford Coal Plant, says that although the landmark decision is historic, it overlooks the community\u2019s bigger issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think it’s pretty cool that we get to mark our place in history but then again, it also feels very performative because it doesn’t really feel like it’s something substantial that people can improve their lives with,\u201d Solano said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An organizer in her spare time with \u00danete La Villita<\/a>, a volunteer-based organization that focuses on advocating for affordable housing, Solano is more concerned with the City\u2019s response to her community\u2019s current struggles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRent is going up,\u201d she said. \u201cA lot of our neighbors are getting displaced. With low wages and rent increases, it feels performative.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat’s the use of making it a landmark if the people that you’re displacing are not even going to get to enjoy it, it’s not going to be reflective of the community that’s here,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Solano hopes that city and community officials have the same initiative to work on improving and investing in the lives of Little Village residents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Little Village Arch was designed by Mexican architect Adri\u00e1n Lozano and built by Balti Contracting Co. in 1990, according to a document by the City of Chicago<\/a>. Costing about $275,000, the structure is set to resemble similar arched entrances found in the streets of Mexico. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Little Village arch has an orange archway, two dome-capped stucco towers, sidewalk passages, a mechanical clock, a mosaic diamond pattern, an orange clay tile roof and a black metal sign reading \u201cBienvenidos A Little Village.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alderman Michael D. Rodriguez of the 22nd Ward<\/a>, which covers part of Little Village, told La DePaulia via email that as a lifelong Little Village resident, he is excited by the historic designation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe landmark is a recognition of the importance of Little Village, and the Mexican American and immigrant communities to our region,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cMexican Americans across the Midwest recognize the arch, that bears the message \u2018Bienvenidos A Little Village’, as a symbol of their home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often referred to as the \u201cMexico of the Midwest<\/a>,\u201d Mexican immigrants began arriving in Little Village and other neighborhoods in the late 1970s. According to data by the U.S Census Bureau and WBEZ<\/a>, Latinos in Chicago are the second largest group and make up 29.9 percent<\/a> of the city\u2019s population. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLittle Village is where hundreds of thousands of individuals of Mexican ancestry have lived, worked, worshipped or conducted business over at least the last seven decades,\u201d Rodriguez said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a 2020 report, the two-mile stretch shopping district that makes up 26th Street was the second highest grossing retail strip in Chicago<\/a> following Magnificent Mile, home to luxurious and high-end brands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe landmark recognition of the Little Village arch is also a recognition of the vitality and economic strength of Little Village and of the Mexican American community in the Midwest United States,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cI am happy that the arch has been awarded a status that honors its architectural beauty and cultural significance.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mar\u00eda Marta Guzm\u00e1n is the Editor-in-Chief of La DePaulia<\/a>, the online Spanish language section of The DePaulia<\/a>, the award-winning newspaper produced by students at DePaul University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Guzm\u00e1n is a Senior at DePaul University majoring in Journalism and double minoring in Spanish and Latino Media & Communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A bilingual journalist born in Managua, Nicaragua, Guzm\u00e1n wants to use her journalism passion to serve as a voice for the Latino community by covering stories involving immigration and international issues in Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Publisher\u2019s Notes: You can read Guzm\u00e1n\u2019s Spanish language version of the city landmark designation of the Little Village Arch by clicking on: Arco de La Villita se convierte en un nuevo monumento oficial, residentes expresan emociones encontradas.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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