The Faces of Immigrant-Owned Small Businesses in Chicago
Jonathan Castillo’s photography breaks stereotypes and honors immigrant-owned businesses in Chicago and nearby suburbs.
Max HermanAugust 13, 2024
Day Laborers Say They Are Being Beaten, Harassed Outside Home Depot By Off-Duty Cops
Criminal trespassing arrests have skyrocketed at a Southwest Side Home Depot as recently arrived migrants seek work, and day laborers say they’re being mistreated as a result.
Sebastián Hidalgo / City BureauAugust 6, 2024
‘I Have to Find Work’: Day Laborers Face Steep Competition, Slim Job Prospects
Newly arrived immigrants search for work as day laborers outside home improvement stores across Chicago. Many find few opportunities and precarious work conditions.
5 Things To Know About Your Rights As a Day Laborer in Illinois
From wage theft to unsafe work sites, how to navigate your rights as a day laborer regardless of immigration status in Illinois.
Stephen FranklinJuly 30, 2024
What You Need to Know If You’re Hurt While Working on a Wisconsin Dairy Farm
ProPublica spoke to lawyers, health care providers, government officials and others to help workers understand their rights if they’re injured on the job.
Chicago’s Longtime Undocumented Immigrants Push Feds for Work Permits: ‘Why Not Us?’
As new arrivals receive federal work authorization, many undocumented immigrants are stepping out of the shadows and demanding work permits after waiting for decades.
Jacqueline CardenasApril 29, 2024
Threats, ‘Abuse’ and No Pay: What Chicago Migrants Face When Looking for Work
Recently arrived migrants say they want to find jobs and build stable lives for their families, but the roadblocks they encounter make it extremely hard to get ahead.
‘I Cannot Work’: Venezuelan TPS Applicants Face Large Hurdles in Getting Work Permits
Although President Biden expanded temporary protected status for Venezuelans, TPS’ language barriers, long wait times and costly application fees make it difficult for many immigrants to apply.
Katrina PhamDecember 11, 2023
How to Vote in Illinois this Election Day
From what to bring to who can vote, we answer your questions about voting in the midterm elections in Illinois.
Jillian MeleroNovember 4, 2022
This Queer Bolivian American Wants To Be Chicago’s Next Mayor
J Saxon says their mixed identities represent Chicagoans who don’t always have a say in politics.
Youcef O. BounabAugust 24, 2022
North Side’s East African Businesses Struggling with Rising Costs, COVID
Despite financial challenges, these Chicago shops are surviving with help from Ethiopian, Somali and other East African immigrant communities.
Sayou CooperMay 11, 2022
Unfairly Banned from Uber? Chicago Rideshare Drivers May Get a Fighting Chance
Immigrant rideshare drivers are backing a proposed Chicago law that could raise driver pay and give them an appeals process when working for Lyft or Uber.
Josephine StratmanFebruary 23, 2022
Carlos Barberena’s Prints Are Humanizing Testaments of Immigrant Stories
Ahead of his new exhibition in Milwaukee, the Chicago-based artist talks about his work and the radical democracy of printmaking.
Kerry CardozaDecember 8, 2021
Meet the Owner of Kim’s Corner Food, a Chicago Grocery Stocked with Collages
North Korea-born Thomas Kong immigrated to the U.S. for opportunity. Now, he has a distinct profession: convenience store owner and artist.
Claire VoonSeptember 29, 2021
A Beloved Persian Restaurant in Lincoln Park Stays Strong
Max Pars, owner of Pars Cove, said that the COVID-19 pandemic has been the biggest challenge in his four decades in the restaurant industry.
Daniel KonstantinoSeptember 9, 2021
Humboldt Park Brewery Reflects on the Pandemic
Supported by grants and loans, the Nordic brewery Ørkenoy now looks to become a Humboldt Park community hub.
Mark DovichAugust 25, 2021
Portraits of Chicago Street Vendors After a Year of Crisis
Photographer Natalie Garcia visits immigrant-run street vendors on Chicago’s Northwest Side that have persisted through the pandemic.
Natalie GarciaAugust 12, 2021
North Center Mexican Restaurant Draws Chicagoans From Across City
Mi Fogata: An award-winning Mexican restaurant owner is weathering the COVID pandemic with support from Chicagoans in North Center and beyond.
Alexander ShurAugust 10, 2021
The Loop’s Russian Tea Time is Back
For Altyn and Enesh Mantyyeva, co-owners of the iconic Chicago restaurant Russian Tea Time, serving the dishes of their childhood isn’t just business — it’s a personal responsibility.
Mark DovichAugust 5, 2021
Lakeview’s Wake ‘N Bacon Uses Instagram to Survive the Pandemic
With social media savvy, owners of brunch spot Wake 'N Bacon have held onto their dream — even in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Izzy StroobandtJuly 28, 2021
Launched During COVID, Rogers Park’s Athena Board Game Cafe Finds Its Footing
After years in the corporate world, Patricia Gonzalez decided to pursue her passion project in Chicago. She opened it right when the city was shutting down due to COVID-19.
Maria AriasJuly 21, 2021
5 Rabanitos Restaurant in Pilsen Survives Pandemic With Community Support
Chef Alfonso Sotelo’s Mexican restaurant and taqueria, 5 Rabanitos, is rooted in family.
Kelly MilanJuly 20, 2021
As Chicago Reopens, Immigrant Restaurateurs Reflect on An Unprecedented Year
Facing an uncertain future, immigrant-owned restaurants are navigating recovery after a pandemic hiatus with creativity and grit.
Diane Bou KhalilJuly 8, 2021
“As An Immigrant, You Have Limited Opportunities”
A Mexican immigrant in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood reflects on the pressures to support his family during the pandemic.
Esperanza SandovalJune 24, 2021
Mis Moles’ Chef Struggling to Recover from Pandemic
Legendary Mexican chef Geno Bahena is dealing with long-haul COVID, staff shortages and financial strains at his mole restaurant.
Alexander ShurJune 16, 2021
Bringing the Fight for Undocumented Immigrant Rights to Michigan
Gema Lowe, who migrated from Mexico to America 30 years ago, describes her journey as an advocate for undocumented immigrant in Grand Rapids.
Emma Glassman-HughesApril 21, 2021
A Pandemic Pivot: Uptown Chef Launches Virtual Indian Restaurant To Stay Safe And Keep Cooking
Fueled by a love of cooking and economic necessity, out-of-work chefs like Jasmine Sheth have launched restaurants without brick-and-mortar locations during the pandemic.
Woojae Julia SongApril 8, 2021
Hospitality On Hold: How One Timeless Uptown Diner Was Interrupted By The Pandemic
With insufficient federal financial relief, restaurants like Uptown's Golden House have had to lay off staff, adapt to constantly changing policies, risk their health daily and make painful decisions in an effort to stay open.
In Little Village, An Immigrant-Led Artists’ Commune Resists as Developer Seeks Eviction
In the midst of a housing crisis that has left immigrant renters among the most vulnerable, a group of immigrant punk rock musicians are fighting to stay at a commercial building they’ve called home for years.
Alexandra ArriagaFebruary 24, 2021
The South Side Mutual Aid Group Fighting Food Insecurity with Meals that Feed the Soul
Farm, Food, Familias partners with diverse chefs to bring dishes with cultural specificity to Black and Latinx communities in need.
Chelsea VerstegenFebruary 10, 2021
Chicago Latina Moms Provides Mutual Aid Support to Immigrant Families
The local mom’s group gave out over $50,000 in mutual aid assistance to Chicago families who were unable to get the COVID-19 federal stimulus check.
Amaris E. RodriguezDecember 10, 2020
Inside the Lives of Immigrant Teens Working Dangerous Night Shifts in Suburban Factories
During the day, immigrant teenagers attend high school. At night, they work in factories to pay debts to smugglers and send money to family. The authorities aren’t surprised by child labor. They’re also not doing much about it.
Melissa SanchezNovember 23, 2020
‘Either I Risk It All Or Nothing At All’: Migrant Workers’ Need To Work Outweighs COVID-19 Concerns
On the outskirts of Rantoul, in east-central Illinois, about 100 migrant farmworkers are living at an old hotel in a sleepy part of town.
Chasing the American Dream in the Gig Economy
Guatemalan immigrant storyteller Nestor Gomez shares his experiences as an Uber and Lyft driver in his new book, “Your Driver Has Arrived.”
Diane Bou KhalilOctober 5, 2020
Risking COVID-19 Exposure Again Is The Only Option For These Temp Workers
In a recent Illinois survey, temp workers say that they do not feel safe during COVID-19 working in food processing, manufacturing, warehousing and logistics.
María Inés ZamudioOctober 1, 2020
‘We Just Want What We Deserve’: Former Strauss Meatpacking Employees Protest Unsafe Working Conditions During COVID
Workers say they were fired after complaining about the lack of coronavirus safety measures. Over 17,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported among meat and poultry workers in the United States.
Francisco VelazquezSeptember 16, 2020
Know Your Rights as a Migrant Farmworker
Illinois Migrant Council’s Miguel Sarmiento answers questions about migrant farmworker’s rights to salary, benefits, and protection during COVID.
Diane Bou KhalilSeptember 9, 2020
Urban farm provides sense of community for refugees during COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic and pricey new water permits have challenged the eight-year-old Global Garden Refugee Training Farm on Chicago’s North Side.
Chelsea VerstegenSeptember 3, 2020
Saigon Sisters and Demera Foster a Cross-cultural Bond During COVID
The restaurants are offering “World Food Tour” meal packages showcasing Vietnamese and Ethiopian cuisine.
Cassidy JacksonSeptember 1, 2020
How to Pick a Peach During COVID
Over half of farmworkers in the United States have no health insurance. That can be a liability during the pandemic.
From the coffee farms of El Salvador to the dairy lands of Wisconsin
Madison’s Finca Coffee celebrates its first anniversary with authentic pupusas and coffee beans bought directly from farmers in El Salvador.
Francisco VelazquezJuly 16, 2020
Vietnamese sisters behind First Sip cafe “breaking the rules” of coffee and business
After closing for over two months during the COVID-19 pandemic, an Uptown cafe that blends Vietnamese and Western tastes reopens its doors.
Michelle KanaarJune 24, 2020
Dispatches from COVID-19: A 72-year-old Filipina essential worker tries to stay healthy while taking care of her patients
“I am always wearing a mask at work. I only remove it when I’m sleeping.”
Mga kuwento tungkol sa COVID-19: Sinusubukan ng 72 taong gulang mahalagang manggagawa manatiling malusog habang nag-aalaga ng iba
“Parati akong naka-maskara sa trabaho. Tinatanggal ko lang ito kapag natutulog ako.”
Dispatches from a COVID-19 hotspot: A neighborhood transformed
Chicago’s thriving, multicultural neighborhood West Ridge has been my beloved home ever since I left Lebanon four years ago. It is now a COVID-19 hotspot.
Diane Bou KhalilApril 29, 2020
Serbian home style cooking brought to life on Chicago’s North Side
After coming to the United States, the Jeftenic family faced layoffs, illness, and homelessness before opening the Astoria Bakery and Cafe.
Michelle KanaarJanuary 15, 2020
Indian and Mexican flavors meet in Pilsen
Casa Indigo’s owner combines the cuisine of his two families
Michelle KanaarDecember 4, 2019
The Jebran family and the taste of home
In a complex time for both of their lands, the Jebran family caters Syrian food to feel more at home in Chicago.
Zarna Patel on studying to be a doctor with DACA
After 21 years of secrecy, Zarna Patel is stepping out of the shadows and claiming her undocumented identity.
Zarna PatelMarch 20, 2017
