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 [...]

The Dominican community of Meriden celebrated Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia — Our Lady of Altagracia — the “protector of the Dominican people” earlier this month like millions of their compatriots in the island nation. Parishioners walked through St. Rose of Lima Parish at a special mass on Sunday, January 23, carrying the image of the Virgin as the choir sang. Organizers made their way to the altar wearing Dominican national costumes. The church was decorated with flowers, highlighting the colors of the Dominican flag: red, blue and white. The procession through the streets of Colonial Zoe to honor the Patron Saint Altagracia. (Picture courtesy: Colonial Zone-DR) Hundreds of thousands of devoted visitors make the trip to the Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia in Salvaleón de Higüey in the Dominican Republic to see the painting of their patron saint. The story of Our Lady de Altagracia dates back to [...]

Illinois Latino News (ILLN) announces the launch of ILLN Opinion+, a monthly series that invites community leaders to showcase their work state-wide and provide resources for listeners on a variety of topics. These guests range from government officials to heads of local advocacy organizations. ILLN joins its sister organizations, CTLN, NHLN, and MALN in hosting Opinion+ episodes.  ILLN Opinion+ guests will discuss current events and present their own perspectives on relevant topics, such as education, COVID-19, and local issues, and answer questions from the Latino community.  “The Opinion+ series has been a successful vehicle to discuss the solutions to the challenges facing Hispanics-Latinos,” said ILLN Owner and Publisher, Hugo Balta. “I can’t wait to see how the platform will create bridges between thought leaders and the public.” The first episode of ILLN Opinion+ will air this Friday, January 14th. Until then, listen to past episodes on our sister markets. About Illinois Latino News [...]

Many Latinos in Illinois are excitedly waiting for Día de los Reyes, Three Kings Day, the closing event of the holiday season. The January 6 commemoration of the three wise men who traveled to visit baby Jesus is very popular in Latino cultures; annual traditions include children leaving shoeboxes of hay or grass underneath their beds, parrandas, and rosca. The Story: According to the Gospel of Matthew, the three Kings, named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar follow a star across the desert for twelve days to find baby Jesus in Bethlehem. The kings offered gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense as a symbol of deity, and myrrh as a symbol of death. The gifts meant to be symbolic, representing a distinct part of the baby Jesus’s destiny: Gold: the belief that Jesus was the King of JewsFrankincense: divine nature of Jesus and the fact that people would come [...]