Outline of the City of Chicago in the State of Guerrero
Little Village is the second largest Latino community in the United States. Many of us came to the United States looking for something “better,” something that Mexico could not offer to us or our families. Yet, our hearts and minds are constantly crossing “the border.” Although many of us often face the heart-wrenching realization that we cannot be physically with those we love, we know that our destinies are always tied. What happens in Mexico reverberates around the world through all Mexicans and through all of us who work to create a better world, just as the 43 of Ayotzinapa have worked for.
The choices we make here impact our brothers and sisters in Mexico. Their situation is our situation. That is a bridge across the border that no matter how high a wall, how repressive a government, how obscure the law, will never be taken down. This, in the end, is the nature of diaspora: reciprocity. And the goal? To succeed alongside those we love, to overcome barriers, to fall and rise together–regardless of where they are.
The following are short reflection pieces about the current situation in Mexico by several participants from our morning English Literacy Classes in our Learning TO Succeed (LETOS) Program. These individuals are residents of La Villita. Regardless of their place of origin, they feel and have a connection with Mexico that makes these recent events affect their lives here.
LETOS participants sharing what they wrote with their peers.
We asked a simple, broad, yet, contentious question:
How do you feel about the current situation in Mexico?
These are their answers.
Hello, My name is Rosalina.
I feel angry about the current situation in México because I want a peaceful and beautiful México. I can’t believe what the Mexican government is doing to our people. I hope that it’s not true what they say. I hope these students are still alive.
Hello, My name is Guadalupe Martinez.
I am sharing my opinion regarding what is happening Mexico. I feel sad for the 43 students and their families. I think that Peña Nieto should resign because his government is corrupt and every day I hear more and more deaths are happening. I think that this should stop because it is very sad to hear this. Corruption is in the Mexican government. Although there is corruption, México will always be a very, very nice country.
My name is Victor,
I would like to talk about the 43 students that were massacred in Mexico. It isn’t just regarding the 43 students, it is concerning Mexican history, a bloody history. This event made us remember the largest students massacre in Latin America. I’m talking about Tlatelolco, October 2nd, 1968, at plaza de las tres culturas. Since this date until now, for students, it’s a sensitive topic. Everyone who is young is revolutionary, and the students have memory. This isn’t just about the 43 murders, this is about repression.
My name is Rosa Gamez,
The boys were captured in Cocula, Guerrero. I’m feeling very impotent because of this event. The Mexican police force is intolerant. The government should have people who are professional in all aspects working as police.The teachers are there to help students become better persons. I would like to send the student’s parents hugs and I hope they find their children soon. God bless them.
Hello, My name is Yazmin Mendoza.
43 students in Mexico fought for liberty and respect. The family and friends of these 43 are still fighting for them to return alive, and the president Enrique Peña Nieto doesn’t do anything to fix this problem. Everyone must fight for Mexico to become free. We should all fight to free Mexico from all this corruption.
I am Salvador. This is what I think about this issue:
It’s really bad. I feel sorry for their families and I don’t understand why the government doesn’t do anything. I am tired of hearing every day on the news what I know are just lies from the Mexican government.
LETOS participants preparing their altars for the Day of the Dead Celebration
The following writings are short essay/reflections from Universidad Popular’s Learning to Succeed English Tutor group. These individuals have been with Universidad Popular for several years, advancing their knowledge of the English language through all the levels of our Adults English Literacy program. This year, we’ve presented them with the challenge of helping their fellow community learners in their process of learning English. Every Wednesday and Thursday they receive training for tutoring and teaching-learning while at the same time refreshing English skills in an intensive 3-hour advance English learning group.
These essays are their contribution to Universidad Popular’s 2014 Day of the Dead Celebration, which took place last October 29th in our community hall. The multiplicity of perspective and the depth of analysis and research presented here is but a small example of the wonderful minds that walk through our halls everyday and that fill our amazing community.
Enjoy!
-Miguel Alvelo
Our tradition started a long time ago.
An essay by María
In Mexico we celebrate the Day of the Dead on November 2nd. This day is very important for a lot of Mexican Families.
Our tradition started a long time ago. In many of the cultures that composed ancient Mexico such as the Mayas, Olmecas, Mexicas, etc. the dead had a very important place in society. When the Spaniards came to Mexico the tradition of the Day of the Dead already existed, but the Spaniards incorporated the catholic religion into it along with other ideas. Then started the mixing of traditions and now this celebration is different from the old days.
All the things we use for this celebration have different meanings.
The idea of making altars come from people thinking that the dead can come back on this day. Families build the altars in different ways. Some altars are made with 7 levels, or steps. Each step has different items.
Before we start the altar, however, we first need to sweep the area with aromatic herbs. We need to clean in 4 directions: North, south, east, and west.
To make the altars we can use cardboard, or wood to make our 7 levels or steps.
First, we make the last level. It’s bigger than the others. One by one we complete the 7 levels, each smaller that the other. Then, we cover them with a black or white cloth.
On the first step we put the picture of a religious image or our favorite picture of the dead.
The second step is only for the souls in purgatory.
On the third step we put salt for the children in purgatory.
On the fourth goes the “pan de muerto.” This bread is decorated with red sugar to symbolize blood. Sometimes, the bread is made for the relatives of the dead as a means of consagration.
The fifth step is for the dead’s favorite food, fruit, and beverages.
The sixth step is for a picture of the dead.
And on the seventh we put a cross.
Other offerings are also put on the altars. Often times, 4 candles are used to make a cross.
The elements of the altar are purple and yellow chains made with Chinese paper. This symbolizes the union between life and death. “Papel picado” also means happiness for life. Flowers are used to welcome the soul. white flowers symbolize the earth and purple flowers mean sorrow. The fired up wick of the candle symbolizes the spirit’s ascension and also serves as a guiding light.
The family of the deceased stay awake all night waiting for the spirit to come back and enjoy the food they’ve prepared for them.
Today, this celebration is changing and does not carry with it the same faith than in the old days. Some people don’t understand much about it. Sometimes this celebration seems to be more about competition and making money than about remembering those who are gone. Other traditions are mixed with these days, such as Halloween, and every time more Mexican are preferring to celebrate them instead of the Day of the Dead. But I hope this tradition doesn’t die. I hope that it passes from generation to generation around the world–wherever Mexicans live.
The tradition has changed.
An essay by Mario Flores
In Mexico people celebrate the Day of the Dead in November.
When I was in Mexico, my grandmother celebrated this day in November. She did it to remember her sons. She cooked bread and some food, light candles, and stayed awake until midnight. At midnight, according to tradition, is when dead people return as flies.
People also go to the graves of the dead, light candles and pray on their tombs.
Nowadays that tradition has changed because people like me have immigrated to other countries. For example, when I got married we used to light candles during the first few years and we also went to church. But after a few years, we stopped. in this country not many people celebrate the Day of the Dead. The tradition has changed.
…when I started the English classes at Universidad Popular I saw for the first time the beautiful decorations and traditions
An essay by Tomasa
I do not celebrate the Day of the Dead because in my country no one does.
Now, when I started the English classes at Universidad Popular I saw for the first time the beautiful decorations and traditions they did. The only thing I worried about was that the smoke from the candles in the altars was making me dizzy. My teacher at the time, Annabel, took us to the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen where we saw a lot of altars with nice decorations.
I think it’s important to celebrate this tradition because it is a special day to remember our family who have passed away. There is a catholic tradition behind it that begins with the first day of November, celebrating “all saints day,” and the second day of november, celebrating “the day of the dead.”
I feel this tradition has changed because young people have lost interest in our original customs. They are influenced by the traditions of this country–where they were born, or where they grew up.
The Day of the Dead is a holiday to remember and give tribute to people who were a part of this world.
An essay by Minerva Vazquez
We celebrate the Day of the Dead because it’s a Mexican holiday and, of course, we’re Mexican. This tradition comes from our ancestors.
My family used to celebrate this special day to honor our deceased loved ones. We decorated an altar with bright colors, candles, pictures, and a lot of food. We used orange, red, purple, and yellow ornaments. We used candles to illuminate our dead’s way. We put some pictures of persons who had passed away–these could be our relatives or friends. My grandmother cooked different kinds of food. She cooked every meal that was the favorite for each person who had died, but she also prepared sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and mole.
I have been celebrating the Day of the Dead since I came to Chicago, but not exactly like we did in my hometown. I light some candles and pray a rosary. I think by doing this we’re contributing to keeping alive this wonderful Mexican tradition.
This celebration is important because we have the opportunity to remember our loved ones who have died. It is much like “Memorial Day” in the U.S. because both holidays honor people who have passed away. In Memorial Day, the U.S. honors men and women who have died in military service, and in the Day of the Dead we (Mexicans) honor our relatives and friends who have passed away.
Although it is a good time to gather together and show respect for our loved ones, on the other hand we also have a reason to a family party. This is good! Don’t you think?
This celebration comes from the catholic celebration of “All Souls, and all Saints Day on November 1st and 2nd. There are some traditional activities that take place at the cemeteries, for example: cleaning the tombs, then placing a paper flower crown or a vase of wild cempaxuchitl. This holiday is from far away in southern Mexico.
The Day of the Dead is a holiday to remember and give tribute to people who were a part of this world. What about marking your prints in all people’s hearts and when the time comes you will be remembered with bright colors, your favorite food, some wild marigolds, or at least with a fragile light. I personally believe that each of us celebrates the Day of the Dead one way or another.
Desde el pasado mes, es posible que hayas podido escuchar los sábados en la mañana en Universidad Popular (UP) un poco de música árabe-marroquí mientras a la vez, comienza a desfilar tras nuestras puertas una nueva población de mujeres sonrientes listas para mover sus vientres llenos de vida y educarse para un proceso de embarazo más gentil y respetado. Esto ocurre tras nuestro lanzamiento de servicios y clases gratuitas para las mujeres embarazadas de la comunidad de La Villita. La diversidad de servicios que hemos desarrollado para las mujeres embarazadas, ha sido uno muy holístico y completo para garantizar que las mujeres puedan apoderarse a ellas y a otras mujeres de la comunidad no tan solo en su proceso de embarazo, mas también a través de su proceso de parto y post parto.
Este proyecto piloto nace de conversaciones internas sobre la realidad y retos del acceso a los servicios y recursos de salud que enfrentamos no tan solo en la comunidad en general, sino también en la comunidad de mujeres embarazadas en la zona. Cuando una embrazada de la Villita busca servicios alternativos de salud y/o talleres para embarazadas, la mayoría de estos servicios se encuentran en el norte de la ciudad. Cuando los consigue en su zona, los precios no son necesariamente los más accesibles. Esta situación compromete los servicios de salud reproductiva que una mujer embarazada no tan solo necesita, mas también, tiene derecho recibir. Esto es por lo tanto, un asunto de salud pública que en UP decidimos trabajar en comunidad a través del aprendizaje participativo para transformar esta realidad y la vida de las mujeres embarazadas de la comunidad.
Las clases son gratuitas y se llevan a cabo en nuestras facilidades como parte del programa de Health Literacy Initiative (Healin) que tiene como objetivo mejorar la calidad de vida de los residentes de la Villita. Las clases se impartirán mayoritariamente los sábados en la mañana. La próxima clase será Remedios para Malestares del Embarazo seguido por Danza Terapia, una clase divertida que utiliza técnicas de danza del vientre de Marruecos, el día 4 de octubre a las 10AM y a las 12 pm.. Otras clases incluyen Clases de Partoy Preparación para el Proceso de Parto. La Instructora es una Doula Certificada, Partera Auxiliar y Educadora Perinatal del Proyecto de Mamá Aicha de nuestra comunidad de La Villita. Para calendario y registro, por favor llame a 773-733-5055 o visite nuestra página en Facebook.
Las siguientes biografías fueron escritas por nuestras ganadoras de la novena Feria del Mole de Universidad Popular. En ellas narran un poco de sus vidas y de sus procesos de hacer Mole. Las felicitamos a todas y les deseamos un año lleno de felicidad y, claro, ¡Mole!
Primer Lugar: Elidia Tinajero
Elidia Tinajero. Mesa #1
Originaria de Acámbaro Guanajuato. Gané el primer lugar gracias a Dios y al apoyo de mi familia y la gente. Sin el apoyo de la familia no se logra mucho. Este es el segundo año que gano el primer lugar. Cocino mi mole en casa y lo he promocionado con familia y amistades y les gusta a todos. Pusimos mucho esfuerzo en promocionar la Feria del Mole en Chicago. Invitamos más gente al evento de aquí de Chicago aunque vivo en Indiana. Mi receta es del origen de la familia de abuelas y tías. He ido juntando lo mejor de la familia y combino los ingredientes de mucha gente. He combinado los sabores y he quitado uno de esos ingredientes que es el anís. Hace tres años gané el tercer lugar y después he ganado dos veces el primer lugar. Tenía temor de enfrentarme con personas de Oaxaca y Veracruz, que es hablar de palabras grandes ya que son unos moles muy buenos, pero me animé. Ahora vendo mi mole. Tengo el gusto de hacer la comida con amor y ver que están degustando de mi comida, esa es la satisfacción mas grande. ¡Sí se puede! Para las personas que no ganaron tienen que tener fe. Espero que con haber ganado pueda hacer mi propio negocio. Viví en chicago durante 11 años en Back of the Yards y en la 25 y Whipple. Mi deseo es regresar a vivir en Chicago. Vivo en Indianapolis, Indiana por motivos del trabajo de mi esposo. Si me encargan el mole para una fiesta siempre tengo la pasta lista para algún pedido. Preparo la pasta, la pongo en el refrigerador y la voy cocinando para eventos o fiestas y me voy a prepararlo en persona. Me cambió la vida el haber participado en la Feria del Mole, me subió el autoestima. Me gusta ser una persona activa y este evento me ha animado a seguir adelante.
Segundo Lugar: María Del Carmen
(Al lado derecho) María del Carmen. Mesa #9
Originaria del estado de México, Cerro del Campo, municipio Amatepec, México. Llegué a UP por las clases de inglés. Supe de la feria del mole por la señora Ascención. La receta del mole es de mi mamá pero lo modifiqué a mi gusto.Trabajo en casa cocinando y cuando tengo pedidos de panes o trabajo no asisto a la escuela por preparar la comida que vendo. Trabajo haciendo mi comida para sustentar a mi familia. Me sentí bien contenta por haber participado, fue una distracción. Me acompañó mi hija Karina. Yo preparé el mole, fueron 10 libras de chile de todo lo que compré. Tardé en hacer el mole para el evento un día de preparación y cocinado en dos horas. Voy a la Iglesia de Santa Rita en la Fairfield y 63. Tengo viviendo en Chicago 21 años. Mi sueño es un restaurante chiquito para trabajar. Trabajé en una pastelería y aprendí a hacer galletas y pasteles. Después de la feria del mole me fui a festejar. Gracias a Dios.
Tercer Lugar: Maria González
María González. Mesa #3
Originaria de Michoacán. Casada con 5 hijos todos aquí viviendo en Chicago por 26 años. Yo vivo cerca de Gurnee Mall. Viajo más de una hora de camino con la familia. Viajamos en carros. Supe de la feria del mole por mi hija y me inscribió en el concurso. Mi mole es receta familiar y ya mis hijas saben hacerlo y tienen la misma sazón. Compré como 4 libras de chile ancho y chile guajillo. Mi familia me ayudó para preparar el mole, me llevé como unas 5 horas haciendo el mole trabajando con todas ellas. Yo le puse toda la sazón. Estaban muy emocionadas de ayudar. Me sentí muy nerviosa durante el evento. Le di a mucha gente a probar el mole. Medía el mole para repartir. Servía mucho y luego servía poco para que alcanzara. Preparo el mole para la casa y luego me dicen mis hermanas que les ayude para sus fiestas. Durante la feria del mole me preguntaron donde podían comprarlos. Volvería a participar para el próximo año. Todo el evento me pareció muy bien.
The UP and Running Team of Universidad Popular’s UPrising Youth Program at the starting line.
On September 14, staff and youth from Universidad Popular’s very own youth program, Uprising, participated in the first 5K in the program’s history. Training and conditioning leading up to the race occurred weekly, and on the same day of “Las Fiestas Patrias,” the 19 runners representing Uprising were more than prepared to cross the finish line.
Michelle Rossette won first place in her category with a time of 29:52Luis Estrada won first place in his category with a time of 22:29
We’d like to congratulate all of the youth who participated, especially our very own Michelle Rosette and Luis Estrada, who took first place in their age categories. With your help, we want the UP and Running team to continue to participate in more events like this. You can show your support by sponsoring a youth or by taking part in upcoming fundraising efforts. We’re excited to have you run with us next year!
A Commentary by Miguel Alvelo: Universidad Popular Member.
Right before our first summer block party of 2014 on July 24 Universidad Popular received news that ABC7 would be swinging by to report on our collectively planned event. Excitedly, we prepared to greet the news reporters and show them the best that Universidad Popular (UP), its partners, and our community had to offer. The event was a thorough success. Thousands of residents participated, and we were able to showcase a portion of the wonderful things we do every day at our community center. We thought the news would reflect these efforts, the positive energy that surrounded the event, and would highlight the people—our community members who were at the center of planning and facilitating the party—but we failed to see that their agenda was very different from what we expected.
When the news reporter Ravi Baichwal[i] asked UP’s Abraham Celio “So, what usually happens on this street when there’s not a block party?” he replied with the truth: “well, on a normal day you’ll see members of the community walking into our center to participate in yoga, zumba, computer classes, etc; you’ll see youth getting ready for a bike ride around the neighborhood, or working on building and maintaining our sidewalk community garden…” The reporter, seemingly unhappy with Abraham’s response insisted on asking the question again: “Yeah, that’s great, but… what really happens on the streets on a normal day?” Abraham was taken aback by the clear twisting of the question and the insistence on getting a response that fit hidden intentions. He replied once more with the truth and remained firm in explaining what the real issues were in the community, why we believe they need to be addressed and how we were doing that. Needless to say, that part of Abraham’s interview was not used in the final report. Instead, the reporter continued asking others until he coerced the response he was looking for from one of our youth.
Ravi clearly states: “make no mistake, what’s happening here now is not how it usually is.” The report explicitly and implicitly continually says that this is “a block normally dominated by gang members.” It implies that there is a constant fear amongst residents that they might get shot, or that something bad will be done to them. The sad realization is that ABC7 wasn’t there to report on the event; they were there to gather footage and interviews for a “report” that was already written and for questions that they had already answered.
While media bias[ii] is not “news” (no pun intended) to critical thinkers, it is sickening to think that it is done so purposefully and explicitly. Renowned scholar and urban policy analyst Peter Dreier demonstrates such blatant bias in his article entitled “How the Media Compound Urban Problems[iii]” by revealing that two-thirds of all news in the 56 U.S. cities he studied focused on reporting violent crimes. Most of these crimes that are reported about are focused on inner-city areas and predominantly show non-whites as the perpetrators of the majority of crimes.
Chicago is sadly a common case study for negative racially biased reporting. In one such study performed by J. Ettema and L. Peer[iv], they looked at two distinct neighborhoods: a poor, black neighborhood, and a white, middle-class neighborhood. They found that reporting about social problems, crime, and drugs was overrepresented for the poor, black neighborhood (2/3 of stories), whereas the stories on the white, middle-class neighborhood were predominantly positive and only mentioned crime and drugs on about 1/4th of the reports. Honestly, one doesn’t even need to perform a peer-reviewed study to see such bias in our local media’s reporting. A simple google news search shows a clear bias toward reporting that violent crimes are a part of daily life in our impoverished and non-white neighborhoods.
Here’s our headquarter’s neighborhood: Little Village.
Here’s our new sister headquarters: Chicago Lawn.
And here’s Wicker Park:
And Lincoln Square:
The news media does not just “report” facts. They broadcast “the news,” in essence: what is important and what is not. As these screenshots show it’s also not simply about “what sells”—the argument that only dramatic or violent news are what viewers seek and want to consume falls by the wayside here. If this was the case, we’d see violent news reporting dominating every neighborhood report. There’s a clear bias showing that non-white neighborhoods are dangerous, violent, and “poor.” By saying that crime is the norm in our impoverished neighborhoods and not mentioning other realities, they create stereotypes that translate into real disadvantages in terms of investment, resource-allocation, and policy creation and implementation.
As a resident of Little Village and as a member of a community organization who seeks to reach community empowerment through participatory learning I’ve felt the need to publicly talk out against this horrible and gross misrepresentation of our block, our youth, and our neighbors. In many ways, our “impoverished” neighborhoods are richer than most of their wealthier neighbors. They are filled with working class people who, in spite of meager earnings and long work hours, dedicate whatever time is left to them to improve their lives, their families, and their community. Our neighborhoods are filled with mothers and fathers who organize, lead, and learn from each other; who plan block parties, who get together every night of the week to gain skills that will help them communicate better with their families and those around them. Our neighborhoods are filled with people who truly want to overcome every single barrier that is put in front of them; who have sacrificed all selflessly for the benefit of the future: our children, our youth. It is exactly the youth who are always being targeted by the real gangbangers: the police, the media, the politicians, and above all—the wealthy individuals and interest groups who control them.
I reject and protest these assumptions that our youth are crime-prone individuals that are in dire need of “outside aid” or “salvation.” Focusing on these stereotypes of the “poor criminal” does nothing to help our youth. It only helps perpetuate perceptions that encourage further disinvestment and dis-empowerment. At Universidad Popular we understand that the best way to address the problems of violence, crime, and poverty in our neighborhoods is by empowering residents; block-to-block we facilitate discussions, provide services, and are a safe space where all can gather, learn from each other and plan a safe, healthy, strong, and just community. A series of one-time city block parties will do nothing to lower gang activity, prevent violence, or address the real root issues that are the cause of these problems. We believe in a year-long/life-long project of community empowerment that constantly evolves based on the needs of our communities. We collaborate with whomever shares this goal and vision with us, with whomever is willing to help us out in whatever way they can or want. But, we are not beholden to the whims of a few powerful individuals that need us from time to time to improve their political standing and we are definitely not beholden to the half-truths others say about our community.
[i] The report from ABC7: http://abc7chicago.com/family/chicago-kids-take-back-the-streets-on-playstreets-day-/217053/
[ii] Another media bias resource: https://suite.io/liz-mccormick/213b2nt
[iii] Dreier, Peter. 2005. “How the Media Compound Urban Problems,” Journal of Urban
27:2. 193-201.
[iv] Ettema, James and Limor Peer. 1996. “Good News from a Bad Neighborhood: Toward
an Alternative to the Discourse of Urban Pathology.” Journalism and Mass
UPrising’s Youth Leadership Council was invited to the Little Village Youth Safety Network quarterly meeting yesterday to present on their project for the 22nd Ward’s Participatory Budget. Diana, Joshua, Reynaldo, and Kimberly represented the Youth Council, which allows the youth in the community to have a voice and advocate for change.
Youth Council presenting their PB22 campaign to community leaders in Little Village
The Youth Council worked on the campaign for more than three months; planning how we could have better lighting outdoors for safety. They organized themselves to make sure everyone in the council had different tasks. They also made sure that this was a participatory campaign, interviewing youth, leading activities about youth organizing and participating in weekly meetings with different people in the community.
Youth Council leads an activity about youth organizing
The youth worked on a video to show on the PB 22 Expo at LVLHS. Lastly, after all the organizing and outreach, the youth started door knocking around the community to get people to vote for their community project. At the meeting, some of the community leaders at the table asked the Youth Council what their next objective is. Kimberly responded, “We are going to keep making change in the community!” Diana also added, “After all the accomplishments, now we are confident we can make change in the community.”
Youth Council members voting for PB22 community projects
Thousands of Little Village residents of all walks of life, abilities, and experiences came together today Thursday July 24th, 2014 to celebrate our Little Village community on Universidad Popular’s (UP) block of 28th st. between Ridgeway and Hamlin Ave. Building Blocks of Peace, as the series of block parties is called, strives to inform and educate community residents of the importance of keeping an active and vibrant community. Focused on street closures to open up spaces that give kids and adults supervised spaces to enjoy outdoor activities such as sports, games, and dancing UP has joined with the City of Chicago and the Department of Public Health to host some of this year’s “PlayStreets” planned in various communities.
Our participants, youth, community members, and facilitators were directly involved in the planning, coordinating, and implementing of this block party. In the span of four hours neighbors had a chance to participate in healthy activities such as yoga, zumba, and dancing; youth and children had the opportunity to play soccer, basketball, practice their riding skills in a bike rodeo, paint to their heart’s desires, enjoy cooking, face painting, and an exhilarating game of water balloon toss.
Aside from the countless number of fun and healthy activities, we also hosted a teach-in celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act’s 24th anniversary. Differently abled community members shared their life stories and spoke about the issues facing their community in Chicago. Several of the speakers mentioned to us that this was the first time they had the opportunity to speak in a public event about the issues that mattered to them. It is especially this type of space that Universidad Popular seeks to create in all of its events and programs: an inclusive space where residents can teach and learn from each other while discussing and creating solutions and projects that matter to them collectively and cooperatively.
The first Feria del Mole was organized by a group of 15 to 20 women who were partaking part in Universidad Popular’s Women’s Empowerment Program. These women, ages 25-60, were coming together once a week to discuss their lives, families, hopes, dreams, and support each other. At the time, Olivia Flores-Godinez was leading the group, and the main theme was “self-esteem development.” Olivia kept hearing disempowering remarks from these participants, all Mexican immigrants and mainly homemakers: “I’m not good at anything,” or “I’m not smart,” or “I don’t have any skills – how will I get a job or help my children do their homework?”
One day, Olivia asked these women if they any were good at cooking. All of them responded with a resounding “YES!” The dish that they most prided themselves on was their mole. Sharing this conversation with the staff a few days later, one of them, and one coworker mentioned a very popular “feria del mole” festival in a pueblo near Mexico City. Perhaps UP participants could put together their own “feria.” Thus was born the Feria del Mole in Chicago, an opportunity for women (and some men!) in the community to put their culinary skills on display at this community festival, with. Thus far, at least, five of the Feria del Mole winners have started their own home businesses, catering private parties and events with their famous mole. The event has also become an annual fundraiser for Universidad Popular’s community empowerment programs for youth, adults, and seniors.
What is mole?
The world “mole” comes from the Aztec word “molli,” meaning concoction, stew or sauce. To the uninformed, mole is a Mexican sauce. In Mexico, mole is a hundred dishes in a hundred homes: It varies not only from region to region but also from town to town. There are many kinds of mole: Poblano, originating from the state of Puebla, is the most famous of the three. The molepoblano is a complex dish carefully woven together using dried chiles, nuts, seeds, vegetables, spices and chocolate (preferably ground and toasted cacao beans). While mole is a traditional dish prepared to celebrate special occasions, it is also served as the main course of many family dinners.
Feria del Mole 2014: Food, music, fun, and prizes
Universidad Popular will celebrate its 8th annual “Feria del Mole” on September 27, 2014. The Feria will take place at Little Village High School 3120 S. Kostner Avenue. Over 3,000 people from all over Chicago will come to participate in this fair at least 40 women and men compete with their home-made recipes to be awarded the “Best Mole in Chicago.” Awards are based on majority votes. There will also be cash prizes: $1000 for “First Best Mole,” $650 for “Second Best Mole,” for the “third Best Mole,” $450 and $300 for “Best Table Decoration” and $250 for “Best Traditional Dress.”
With admission, guests receive ballots to taste as many moles as they like, and vote for their favorite. Besides the mole-tasting, the event includes booths promoting event sponsors, music and performances by local artists. Celebrity judges will vote on “best dressed” and “best table decoration.”
Become a Sponsor
We are currently seeking sponsors for La Feria del Mole 2014. This is an excellent opportunity to market your company and/or product to 3,000 Hispanic consumers. As a sponsor, you will receive:
Recognition as Presenting Sponsor on printed invitations and online
Media recognition in PSAs (public service announcements)
Company logo and name inclusion on all Feria del Mole promotional materials
Prominent logo placement and branding on stage
Recognition as Presenting Sponsor in all press releases and media alerts
Prominent logo inclusion on UP website page promoting the Feria del Mole (with reciprocal link)
Logo inclusion and recognition in e-blasts promoting the Feria del Mole
Reserved booth for promotional giveaways and product sampling
Contact us today to discuss the sponsorship: Phone: 773-733-5055
UPrising’s bike club takes little village youth out on their bikes to explore their city and neighborhood. Throughout the year, youth learn basic bicycle maintenance, responsible and safe street riding, and how to lead by following your group.
With each bike outing, the youth have learned the history of their neighborhood parks, and the amazing stories of the boulevard park system and the neighborhoods that surround them.By biking together through these areas, youth are expanding their own mental maps of their community and city, while at the same time breaking stereotypes they’ve been led to believe about other parts of the city that surround us. While exploring the beauty that surrounds us, youth also remain active and become enchanted with a healthy, fun activity that can take them to wonderful places.
