La Calidad de Vida dentro de La Villita: An Investigation of Factors Affecting Quality of Life of Latino Residents of an Urban Immigrant Residential Enclave

Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine factors affecting the quality of life of Latino residents of Little Village—a predominantly Latino urban gateway community in the city of Chicago. Two focus groups with Latino residents and eleven interviews with stakeholders in this community were employed to collect the data. The findings show that the quality of life of Latino residents was affected by a number of interrelated factors, including environmental degradation, insufficient access to open spaces, low sense of community, fear of crime, and undocumented status of many residents. Findings of this study are discussed and a number of practical implications are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Quality of life
• Latinos
• urban gateway communities

Monika Stodolska, PhD, is Associate Professor, Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kimberly J. Shinew, PhD, is Professor and Associate Head for Academic Affairs, Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

This study has been funded by a grant from the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station. The authors would like to thank Juan Carlos Acevedo, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVejo), La Villita Community Church, Little Village High School, City of Chicago Ward 12th Alderman and his staff, City of Chicago Police 10th District, Little Village Community Development Corporation (Enlace), and citizens of Little Village for making this study possible.

Notes

1. Street gangs operating in the Chicago area are divided into two main groups formed in 1978. The main gangs associated with the People Nation include Vice Lords, Latin Kings, Cobra Stones, Latin Counts, Insane Unknowns, Spanish Lords, and the Gaylords. Gangs forming the Folk Nation alliance include Black Gangster Disciples, Spanish Cobras, Gangster Disciples, Maniac Latin Disciples, Satan Disciples, and Spanish Gangster Disciples. The People Nation Gangs wear all identifiers to the left, while the Folk Nation gangs were their identifiers to the right. The People Nation alliance in most instances utilizes a five-pointed star and the Folks gangs—six point star in their gang graffiti.