The first time DePaul junior, Ariana Collazo heard of an Afro-Latina individual in school was last year during her Afro Caribbean class when Haitian American novelist Edwidge Danticat came to speak to her class.   “Listening to her story was really inspiring and I’ll never forget watching her,” said Collazo.  Collazo said she felt connected to the author's experience of being ostracized and the way classmates treated her differently growing up, coming from a Puerto Rican and African American background.  Ariana Collazo in front of Lane Tech High School. Photo courtesy by Ariana Collazo. Collazo said she remembers being teased by elementary school kids when they found out that her mom was African American. "Of course, not speaking Spanish, they’d always be like ‘How are you a real Puerto Rican if you can’t even speak Spanish, and your mom is Black?” Collazo said.  Although in the U.S 5 percent of [...]

During the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic, Latinos, in particular, have suffered and faced disproportional health and economic impacts. For example, the group is 1.7 times more likely to contract COVID-19 than their non-Hispanic white counterparts and 4.1 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19, and 2.8 times more likely to die from the disease. The pandemic is taking a toll on mental health. A 2021 Healthy Now survey found that about 60 percent of Americans were more likely to feel stressed, anxious, and/or depressed last fall as compared to 50 percent during the fall of 2020. On June 5, 2020, Wallingford resident Massiel Abramson launched her online business Massiel Abramson, LMFT Therapy and Consulting. Abramson saw the opportunity during the pandemic to support people with their mental health. “I have an entrepreneur spirit and it’s always been my calling to increase communication among individuals when it comes [...]

WBEZ Chicago and Illinois Latino News (ILLN) are proud to announce a new partnership in best serving the public. The collaboration between ILLN and the WBEZ Community Engagement team will provide an opportunity to produce programming together that elevates the visibility and voices of Chicago’s diverse communities, with its first community event planned for the end of March. “In our mission we state that our role is to ‘serve and inform the public and connect diverse audiences by telling stories that matter,’” said Tracy Brown, Chief Content Officer for WBEZ Chicago. “This new partnership with Illinois Latino News is an opportunity to do just that. We’re looking forward to working with ILLN to engage with diverse communities across Chicago to understand the issues impacting their daily lives.”  Hugo Balta, Owner and Publisher of ILLN, commented on the partnership, saying, “Now, more than ever, it is crucial for local news [...]

After 31 years of the Little Village Arch serving as a symbol of the Mexican community in Chicago, the two-story terracotta structure is now an official city landmark — but Little Village residents express mixed emotions on the decision. The final vote on the landmark designation of the Little Village Arch came Wednesday after Chicago’s City Council gave the approval with zero objections. Located in the community’s beloved 26th Street, the arch marks the beginning of the two mile strip filled with bakeries, taquerias and mom-and-pop shops.  For some Mexican Little Village residents like Ana Laura Saavedra, the landmark symbolizes resilience for her community.   “Our community has endured so many social and racial injustices, but yet our people continue to persevere,” Saavedra said. “When I see the Little Village Arch, I see the rich Mexican culture [and] also a sense of new beginnings.”  Growing up in Little Village, her [...]