Pilsen, a once Eastern European neighborhood bounded by 16th Street, a bend in the Chicago River and Western Avenue, has become, over the past 50 years, 80 percent Hispanic, most of that percentage Mexican-Americans. The music that pours from doorways and passing cars confirms this, as do cooking smells and pushcart vendors and, especially, the roughly 30 murals that decorate, inform and unite the community. A Mexican tradition that migrated to Chicago in the turbulent 1960s, themed outside murals here depict the Aztec past of the people, their problems, pride, faith and the closeness of family that is at the heart of the culture. A tour of these works is available through Pilsen Mural Tours, 773-342-4191, or, like residents, you can walk around the neighborhood and happen upon their beauty and power.
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