Lower West Side

      Prayer Points

• The Lower West Side is an entry point for many newcomers to the community. Pray that they become established in their community and are receptive to the Gospel.

• The population is predominantly Latino with strong ties to Mexico. Pray that others could embrace and remember their Mexican heritage.

• There is a strong and influential arts community that is represented in the neighborhood, which has brought in a post-modern worldview. Pray that these artists could see that only Christ can meet their deepest longings.

• There is an underrepresented evangelical church presence in the neighborhood. Pray for church planting efforts to engage the community.

      Ethnic Breakdown

• Asian (0.5%)
• Black and African American (2.9%)
• Hispanic or Latino (81.8%)
• White (13.7%)

Neighborhood Background

After the Chicago Fire of 1871, Pilsen became a center of manufacturing and a major industrial area. It was not until the hardships of the Great Depression and the housing crisis during World War II that the working-class area was strained by industries closing their plants.

However, the urban renewal in the Near West Side along with the construction of the Stevenson Expressway helped to revitalize the area. Many Mexican residents moved further south into Pilsen from the Near West Side with the convenience of the Stevenson Expressway followed by further immigration into Pilsen with the closing of the meatpacking plants and stockyard districts.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Mexicans from out of state, Puerto Ricans, and African Americans from North Lawndale also moved into the area. Pilsen remains an entry point for working-class migrants and is also home to the National Museum of Mexican Art. Many continue to struggle against poverty and discrimination as they receive help from mutual benefit societies