Rocio Padilla (23)

Using one word, what comes to mind when you hear “Little Village”?
Eloteros from Piotrowski Park

Childhood in Little Village
My parents would always try to keep us inside as much as possible and we weren’t really allowed to play outside.
My mom has always sat outside to watch us play outside, she's done that with me, my sister and brother.
A man was shot in the leg one time and dragging his leg, my whole family and I were coming around the block, my mom told me the man had ketchup on him because she didn't want me to get scared.
Translating letters to parents, helping younger siblings with homework while I had my own homework to worry about.
“Damn, I needed someone, and I didn't even know how to go up to you.”- talking about mom
Both of us joined Girl Scouts in Piotrowski Park.
Teachers in Zapata pushed us in certain classes such as algebra because they believed we were capable of advanced work.
Young Adult
Got a job at One Summer Chicago as soon as I was able to get a job at 14-15 years old because mom was always stressing about money, therefore she would stress too.
Went to Lane Tech High School with a few people from Little Village and made friends with students that had also graduated from schools in Little Village.
It is so different when you go to the school on the North side, and have to come back everyday to Little Village.

Adult
People tend to be surprised when you tell them that you're from Little Village, “So how is it in Little Village?”
Violence in Little Village, gang bangers “protecting” the small businesses on 26th street following looting in the city.
There was a year that hit our group of friends really hard with people from our neighborhood and age group passing away especially our friend, Jose. Always believed he would be so successful, “With Jose, I always always kind of like, this man, he's going to be something, he's going to make it, he's going to do something awesome here.”
The destruction of the Crawford coal plant on 34th and Pulaski that affected the whole community and its resident’s health right in the middle of a pandemic as well. 

Change in Little Village?
“As a  kid, the only thing I hated with all my heart and soul, and I probably just don't notice it as much anymore is sexism, a lot of sexism.”
See more people push back and fight, mostly as immigrants, losing the fear of speaking up.