Moneda Moves (65): America's uprising in a divided Chicago & how Latinos show up
Today is June 5 2020, and I say that because it is important to date this podcast. This is the end of what will be the longest week for many, though this is really what our black communities have faced for years on-end. Across the country, there are uprisings happening in the name of George Floyd and countless others. As former President Obama explained in his Medium post, the call-out is explicit for the “reform of police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States.”
(Credit: NPR)
The rate at which black Americans are killed by police is more than twice as high as the rate for white Americans. I do not claim to know how painful it must be for our black communities after decades of our nation watching black people die.
And, so, at the end of this week, this country is not where it needs to be, but it’s clear that masses of people are demanding a solution. It’s also clear that support for the movement comes in different ways starting from in-person protest, to contacting the powers that be, to putting money in the hands of our black community that help move this forward. The Latino community is absolutely a critical part in combating colorism and anti-Black racism by starting in our own communities.
In this podcast, we are going to talk about the responsibility of the Latino community in this because it’s huge. But this episode will also be slightly different than others, and it’s because it’s a bit more personal. I come from Chicago, where, last weekend I learned my own working class neighborhood, which is predominantly Latino, was heavily impacted by the uprising. Local businesses were smashed and looted, fire was set to large department stores. When I spoke with my parents who live there, they confirmed shootings were heard all night and that there were rumors of home invasions. By mid-week, only one of their local grocery stores continued to operate under limited hours. I had now also heard from multiple sources that Chicago gangs not just in my area but across the city were pledging to protect neighborhoods and businesses, which yes, adds another layer of complexity and questions. I wanted to know more, not just about this but also how Latinos, which in 2017 was the largest “minority” in Chicago are showing up for the movement while keeping their communities intact.
Credit: Pilsen Protest in Chicago Mateo Zapata Instagram
For this episode, I spoke with someone who’s been documenting on the ground and who has worked with small businesses in our Chicago Latino neighborhoods: Mateo Zapata, founder of Inner City Culture. We spoke about the current state of affairs and how Latinos are showing up. What is discussed in this conversation are Mateo’s observations. It’s important to remember that this is not happening in a vacuum, Chicago has historically been one of the most segregated cities in the country -- this which was completely engineered by the city by enabling redlining, now-outlawed lending practices that kept minorities out of certain areas, and keeping investment out of black neighborhoods. The most hurt by this were Blacks and Latinos, specifically Mexicans. To date, the segregation is still evident.
Credit: Mateo Zapata Instagram
That’s just a bit of context as we head into this conversation, which has some sensitive material. Listen on Apple and Spotify.
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moneda-moves/id1509830337
Con poder✊🏽,
Lyanne