Mexicans make up 21.5% of Chicago residents, according to new Census data. They also make up nearly 74% of the city’s Latino residents.
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A new report called “Fuerza Mexicana: the Past, Present and Power of Mexicans in Chicagoland” took a look at their lives and their impact on the city.
Mexicans began settling in Chicago in large numbers around 1916.
“It’s very much tied to not only the politics of what was happening in Mexico but especially the economic activities that were happening here in Chicago,” Director of the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago Teresa Córdova said.
Córdova produced the report. Research showed that Mexicans were actively recruited work in industries such as railroad, steel and meatpacking.
A new report looks at the lives of Mexicans and their impact on the city of Chicago.
Luis Gutierrez is the founder and CEO of Latinos Progresando. He added that more than 100 years later, Mexicans are still overrepresented in low-paying jobs.