Little Village (South Lawndale, Chicago) used to be inhabited by immigrants from Ireland and Eastern Europe in the 19th century. However, now the majority of population is constituted by Mexican people (Little Village, 2013). This is a suburban community.
Little Village is situated in the west of Chicago. The climate is continental. The major distinctive feature of the area is proximity to lakes. The area of Little Village is 4.4 square miles. The community is quite well-organized. Only 9% of housing units are vacant, and 36% of units are owner-occupied (Little Village, 2013). There are some plants or factories nearby. Though, there are no significant toxic pollutants in the air or water. Water and food supplies are sufficient and the community has a lot of food shops and cafes or restaurants. The majority of the population is merchants (The Little Village Survey, n.d.).
The population of its community is 91,071 people according to Census 2000 (Little Village, 2013). In the last ten years, more than 10,000 new residents appeared in the area. According to Census 2002, the vast majority of people are Hispanics (83%), African-Americans constitute 13%, and the rest Asian immigrants (Little Village, 2013). The majority of families are extended. There are lots of single-parent families as almost 25% of child “births are to teenage mothers” (Little Village, 2013).
Almost half of the population of Little Village is under 25. However, the rate of mortality in the area is quite high. One of the most common diseases is diabetes which is also one of the major reasons for the high mortality rate (Little Village, 2013). One of the major causes of morbidity is insufficient health care in the area or rather high costs of health care services. Another reason for mortality is violence in the streets. There are a number of gangs in the area.
Some of the most significant historical events are several waves of immigration in the 19th and the middle of the 20th century. The immigration of Mexican people in the second half of the twentieth century changed the demography in the area. In the 1990s, there was a very high rate of unemployment (14%) which was caused by the closure of major industrial facilities (South Lawndale, 2005). Low incomes and a high rate of unemployment are some of the reasons for these issues. More than 26% of people live below the poverty level. Almost 8% of people get public assistance. About 40% of people have an income of more than $35,000 a year. The majority of people in the area are Catholics who attend Catholic churches on regular basis. Little Village has a number of community organizations with the lead agency Enlace Chicago which regulates the community. The schooling in the area is inefficient and the rate of drop-outs is very high (almost 50%). There is a public and private schools, though the majority of people do not have access to appropriate education due to their low income. There are also a number of parks and places for recreation. Community agencies also work on projects aimed at the development of the infrastructure and places of recreation.
References
Little Village (South Lawndale). (2013). Web.
South Lawndale. (2005). Web.
The Little Village Survey. (n.d.). Web.