Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood was first settled by Irish and German

immigrants who were soon supplanted by a large influx of Czech immigrants. They gave

the neighborhood its name but it’s known today for its Mexican and Mexican American

population who first began moving in during the 50s and 60s. Pilsen continued to be

a port of entry for decades and since then, many have fought to maintain the

neighborhood’s identity, culture, and its community. In this episode we answer

several questions about Pilsen’s history -- about the role murals have played in

creating that sense of community, how the people rose up and came together to fight

for a new high school, and how residents of Pilsen took a Chicago housing

peculiarity and made it their own.